Fiona Horsfall is the Director for the Office of Research, Transition, and Application (ORTA) in NOAA’s Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR). In this position, she oversees the development and implementation of policies that guide and manage transition in the director’s office as well as the Technology Partnerships Office (TPO) and the Uncrewed Systems Research Transition Office (USRTO), where she is currently the acting director for the office.  

Fiona received her BS in Ocean Engineering from Florida Atlantic University and her Ph.D. from the Division of Meteorology and Physical Oceanography, RSMAS, University of Miami. She was a research meteorologist at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, before moving to NWS Headquarters, where she had several roles in supporting NWS and broader NOAA climate services.  She was the Chief of the NWS Climate Services Branch for 11 years just prior to coming to ORTA.