LaToya Myles Promoted to ARL Acting Deputy Director

January 24, 2022

NOAA’s Deputy Assistant Administrator for Science Dr. Gary Matlock has selected Dr. LaToya Myles to serve as interim Deputy Director for NOAA’s Air Resources Laboratory (ARL). Dr. Myles is currently the Director of ARL’s Atmospheric Turbulence and Diffusion Division, in Oak Ridge, TN. This vacancy was created when Dr. Ariel Stein transferred to serve as Director of NOAA’s Global Monitoring Lab in Boulder, Colorado.  Dr. Myles is not only the first woman but also the first Black scientist to serve as a division director at ARL.

Dr. Myles has a long career at NOAA as an environmental chemist. A magna cum laude graduate of Alcorn State University with a B.S. in chemistry and a B.S. in biology, she received her Ph.D. in environmental sciences from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University where she conducted research with the NOAA Cooperative Science Centers (CSCs) and was awarded a fellowship from the Educational Partnership Program with Minority Serving Institutions (EPP/MSI). 

Her scientific research has sought to improve understanding of the linkages between atmospheric chemistry and environmental change with a focus on observations of ammonia over coastal and agricultural ecosystems. She has demonstrated leadership of boundary layer R&D efforts, including observations and modeling of physical and chemical processes in the atmosphere, with programs in NOAA and in collaboration with partners from other federal agencies, universities, and the private sector. During her 20-year tenure at ARL, she has been a subject matter expert, invited speaker, and published author in surface-atmosphere exchange and biogeochemical cycling of reactive nitrogen. She is a graduate of OAR’s Leadership Effectiveness and Advancement Program (LEAP) and the NOAA Leadership Seminar.

Dr. Myles is also a strong advocate for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in the Earth sciences. As current chair of the AGU Honors and Recognition Committee, she works to expand and create new opportunities for the next generation of scientists and reach out to historically underrepresented communities. 

Dr. Gary Matlock continues to serve as ARL’s Acting Director, but Dr. Myles is instrumental in providing leadership and direction for ARL.