David Applegate is an American academic who has served as director of the United States Geological Survey since 2022. He is also a professor at the University of Utah.

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Quick Facts 18th Director of the United States Geological Survey, President ...

David Applegate
Applegate in 2022
18th Director of the United States Geological Survey
Incumbent
Assumed office August 15, 2022
President	Joe Biden
Preceded by	James F. Reilly
Acting
In office January 20, 2021 – August 15, 2022
Personal details
Education	Yale University (BS) Massachusetts Institute of Technology (PhD)
Scientific career
Fields	Geology
Institutions	Johns Hopkins University United States Geological Survey University of Utah
Thesis	The unroofing history of the funeral mountains metamorphic core complex, California (1994)
Doctoral advisor	Kip Hodges

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Applegate earned a Bachelor of Science degree in geology from Yale University and a PhD in geology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.^[1]

Applegate is an adjunct full professor at the University of Utah. From 2004 to 2011, he served as senior science advisor for earthquake and geologic hazards at the United States Geological Survey. Since May 2011, he has served as associate director of the USGS for natural hazards.

On January 20, 2021, Applegate began serving as acting director of the USGS.^[2] On March 8, 2022, President Joe Biden nominated Applegate to serve as director of the agency.^[3][4] Hearings on his nomination were held before the Senate Energy Committee on April 28, 2022. The committee favorably reported his nomination to the Senate floor on June 14, 2022.^[5] His nomination was confirmed by the Senate by voice vote.^[6] He was sworn in by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland on August 15, 2022.^[2]