Jaia Syvitski (born James Syvitski) is an American-Canadian Professor Emeritus. Their interests include oceanography, geology, hydrology, numerical modelling, and geophysics.

Syvitski obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in geology and mathematics in 1974, and an Honors degree geology in 1975 from Lakehead University. In 1978, she received a PhD from the University of British Columbia in oceanography and geology.^[1]

After graduation, Syvitski became an assistant professor at the University of Calgary. In 1981, she moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia, to work as a senior research scientist for the Bedford Institute of Oceanography with the Canadian Federal Department Natural Resources Canada. During that period Syvitski received appointments as adjunct professor at Canadian Universities: Dalhousie, Laval Universities, Memorial University of Newfoundland and the Institut national de la recherche scientifique of Quebec.^[1]

From 1995-2007 Syvitski was director of the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research at the University of Colorado, where she was also awarded professorships in geological sciences and geophysics. In 2007, Syvitski became Executive Director of the Community Surface Dynamics Modeling System and Professor of Oceanography, and in 2009 she was also appointed Professor of Applied Math.^[1]

Syvitski served as chair of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme for the International Council for Science from 2011-2016. During this time (2013-2015) Syvitski was also part of the advisory council in the department of oceanography at Xiamen University, and from 2013 she was an International Development Advisor for the International Development Research Centre and Department for International Development.^[2]

Syvitski retired in 2018.^[3] She has written over 500 publications,^[4] including peer-reviewed and popular^[5][6] articles and books.^[7]

Syvitski identifies as non-binary and genderqueer, and uses she/her pronouns.^[8] She came out publicly around 2005.