Each autumn, I enjoy welcoming students back to campus. This time of year gives us an opportunity to look ahead to how we can achieve our goals, both as individuals and as a School. The SEFS faculty have been hard at work developing strategic goals for the School, and this year brings a renewed energy towards our mission and a fresh perspective on our vision to provide equitable solutions to pressing environmental challenges. I look forward to sharing these with you all. Each day, I’m inspired by the ways in which the SEFS community is making strides toward that mission and the impact we make through our collective commitment and strong partnerships. 

As we confront the sustainability implications of climate change, urbanization, and globalization, our work on equitably addressing environmental problems is as relevant as ever. In our backyard and globally, SEFS researchers, faculty, and students are producing, disseminating, and collaborating on advanced research and technology that benefits the environment and communities faced with increased wildfire, biodiversity decline, climate adaptation choices, and implementing natural climate solutions. We are excited to welcome Drs. Claire Willing and Francisca Santana this fall, both hired along with Dr. Sameer Shah as part of our cluster hire in climate adaptation. Their work complements our collective efforts to find creative, sustainable, and adaptive solutions to the multi-dimensional challenges of climate change. 

Sustainable management and stewardship of natural resources is a core tenet of our work. Through the ESRM and BSE undergraduate programs, SEFS students are exposed to cutting-edge research in sustainable product development, forest and wildlife management practices, restoration ecology, and more. We provide cutting-edge research, visionary teaching, and inclusive engagement to ensure that SEFS students leave prepared to succeed in the world and in the workplace, bridging ecological systems and sustainability. We are excited to be growing our faculty, and are actively engaged in two faculty searches this year, in the areas of Sustainable Bioresource Engineering and in Ecological Restoration and Management. We are also looking forward to the progress we will make over the coming year on the Anderson Hall renovation, which is in the design phase now with the goal of starting construction after graduation in 2024.

As a community, SEFS is committed to creating an inclusive environment that celebrates the diversity of knowledge, experiences, and perspectives in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. We are passionate about environmental justice, and our faculty, staff, and students have demonstrated their commitment to increasing and sustaining diversity on multiple dimensions through our emerging diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in recent years. Our DEI committee is actively engaged in the life of the school, participating and helping to implement strategies to improve inclusiveness in hiring, curriculum, facilities and community. We have a long-standing commitment to our partnerships with Tribal communities and strive to incorporate Indigenous management and traditional ecological knowledges in curriculum, research, and fieldwork.

I’m delighted to welcome our new faculty, staff, and students to SEFS, and look forward to our continued work fostering inclusive and innovative environmental research, education, and outreach.

Dan Brown

School of Environmental and Forest Sciences
Corkery Family Director’s Chair
Professor and Director