{{Short description|Director of the U.S. Geological Survey since 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Ned Mamula | image = Ned Mamula USGS portrait.jpg | caption = Mamula in 2025 | office = Director of the U.S. Geological Survey | president = Donald Trump | term_start = November 18, 2025 | term_end = | predecessor = David Applegate | education = Slippery Rock University (BS), Penn State University (MS), Johns Hopkins University (MIPP), Texas A&M University (Ph.D.) }}
'''Ned Mamula''' is a geoscientist and economic geologist who has served since 2025 as the 19th director of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Prior to his directorship of the Geological Survey, Mamula held roles within the U.S. federal government as well as in the critical minerals industry. From 2023 to 2025, he was employed by GreenMet, a private company focused on mineral mining and processing. He also formerly served as an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute, and has worked in the U.S. Department of Energy and Central Intelligence Agency.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ned Mamula |url=https://www.cato.org/people/ned-mamula |access-date=November 24, 2025 |publisher=Cato Institute |type=Bio}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Smeltz |first=Adam |date=September 2, 2025 |title=Fall EarthTalks will spotlight critical minerals as economic, security necessity |url=https://www.psu.edu/news/earth-and-mineral-sciences/story/fall-earthtalks-will-spotlight-critical-minerals-economic-security |access-date=November 24, 2025 |publisher=Penn State University}}</ref>
Mamula is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and worked as a steelworker there before attending Slippery Rock University, from which he received a Bachelor of Science degree in geosciences. He later attained a Master of Science in structural and economic geology from Penn State University, another master’s degree in international public policy from Johns Hopkins University, and a Ph.D. in geology and geophysics from Texas A&M University.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mamula |first=Ned |date=May 14, 2025 |title=[Statement of Dr. Ned Mamula] |url=https://www.energy.senate.gov/services/files/A4650B4E-9CC7-4A13-A62F-C21D23AE01E3 |access-date=November 24, 2025 |website=Energy and Natural Resources Committee |publisher=United States Senate}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Ned Mamula, Ph.D. |url=https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/ned-mamula |access-date=November 24, 2025 |publisher=U.S. Geological Survey |type=Staff profile}}</ref> He serves on the alumni advisory board of Penn State's geosciences department.<ref name=":0" />
He began working for the USGS in the 1970s and later found employment at the Department of Energy and Central Intelligence Agency,<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=McKenzie |first=Lindsay |date=2025-02-13 |title=Trump nominates USGS Director; Interior Department Science Lead |url=https://www.aip.org/fyi/trump-nominates-usgs-director-interior-department-science-lead |access-date=November 24, 2025 |website=FYI: Science Policy News |publisher=American Institute of Physics |language=en}}</ref> serving at the latter as a geoscientist and intelligence analyst.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Northey |first=Hannah |date=February 13, 2025 |title=Q&A: Trump’s USGS nominee plans to turbocharge American mining |url=https://www.eenews.net/articles/qa-trumps-usgs-nominee-plans-to-turbocharge-american-mining/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=November 25, 2025 |website=E&E News |language=en-US}}</ref> He became the chief geologist of GreenMet, which provides financing and infrastructure for projects in the minerals industry,<ref name=":2" /> in 2023.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Allsup |first=Maeve |date=2025-03-13 |title=The geologist shortage is already getting worse |url=https://www.latitudemedia.com/news/the-geologist-shortage-is-already-getting-worse/ |access-date=November 25, 2025 |website=Latitude Media}}</ref>
In February 2025, the U.S. Senate received a nomination from President Donald Trump for Mamula to direct the USGS.<ref name=":3" /> In an interview with ''E&E News'' later that month, Mamula stated that he hoped to add uranium, copper, and potash to the federal government's critical minerals list and decrease American dependence on China and other foreign powers for minerals.<ref name=":2" /> His appointment as USGS director was confirmed by the Senate on October 7, 2025.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=February 11, 2025 |title=Nomination of Ned Mamula for Department of the Interior |url=https://www.congress.gov/nomination/119th-congress/25/30 |access-date=November 24, 2025 |website=119th Congress |publisher=Congress.gov}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Political Appointee Tracker |url=https://ourpublicservice.org/performance-measures/political-appointee-tracker/ |access-date=November 26, 2025 |website= |publisher=Partnership for Public Service |language=en-US}}</ref> According to further reporting from ''E&E News'', one senator, Martin Heinrich, who voted against Mamula's nomination, was concerned about his "track record of spreading disinformation and conspiracy theories".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cama |first=Timothy |date=May 21, 2025 |title=Committee approves Trump DOE, Interior nominees |url=https://www.eenews.net/articles/committee-approves-trump-doe-interior-nominees/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=November 25, 2025 |website=E&E News |language=en-US}}</ref>
Under Mamula as USGS director, the Department of the Interior released an updated list of critical minerals, adding ten minerals not included in the previous years—including uranium, copper, and potash—to the list.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Office of Communications |date=November 7, 2025 |title=Interior Department releases final 2025 List of Critical Minerals |url=https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/interior-department-releases-final-2025-list-critical-minerals |access-date=November 26, 2025 |publisher=U.S. Department of the Interior}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Communications and Publishing |date=November 14, 2025 |title=Interior Department releases final 2025 List of Critical Minerals |url=https://www.usgs.gov/news/science-snippet/interior-department-releases-final-2025-list-critical-minerals |access-date=November 25, 2025 |publisher=U.S. Geological Survey |language=en}}</ref> In his role as director, Mamula has also advocated for shortening the permitting process for mining in order to reduce the amount of minerals the United States must import from China and Russia.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Holmes |first=McKenzie |date=October 17, 2025 |title=New director of USGS warns U.S. at ‘tipping point’ on domestic mineral production |url=https://www.independentwomen.com/2025/10/17/new-director-of-usgs-warns-u-s-at-tipping-point-on-domestic-mineral-production/ |access-date=November 26, 2025 |website=Independent Women |language=en}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mamula, Ned}} Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Scientists from Pittsburgh Category:American geologists Category:Economic geologists Category:American businesspeople in mining Category:Slippery Rock University alumni Category:Pennsylvania State University alumni Category:Johns Hopkins University alumni Category:Texas A&M University alumni Category:United States Department of Energy officials Category:Analysts of the Central Intelligence Agency Category:United States Geological Survey personnel Category:Second Trump administration personnel