Catherine O’Riordan

Catherine O’Riordan is an association management executive with 17 years of leadership experience with non-profit scientific societies. She currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer of the American Institute of Physics where she oversees all programs, including news and media programs, the Society of Physics Students (SPS), the Statistical Research Center, the Niels Bohr Library and Archives, and AIP’s flagship magazine Physics Today. As a federation, AIP also provides services to its ten member societies and partners with them to strengthen the community and increase support for the physical sciences.

O'Riordan worked previously at the Consortium for Ocean Leadership in Washington, DC, where she managed ocean research and education programs and developed leadership and communication workshops for scientists. From 1999-2007 she managed public affairs and society activities at the American Geophysical Union, the largest society of earth and space scientists in the world.

Before moving into association management, O'Riordan conducted research with French and European colleagues on the physics and biogeochemistry of the marine environment along the coast of France. O'Riordan is a Certified Association Executive and holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University and a M.S. and Ph.D. in Engineering from Stanford University.