Susan Ustin, distinguished professor emeritus of environmental and resource science, has been named interim director of the , where she has served as the associate director of research since 2017.
She replaces Benjamin Houlton, her faculty colleague in the Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, who has been appointed dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University.
Ustin retired last year, although she stayed on at the Muir Institute and as the director of the .
Ustin鈥檚 appointment as the JMIE鈥檚 interim director took effect Aug. 1, as announced this week by Prasant Mohapatra, vice chancellor of research.
鈥淲e are thankful for Dr. Houlton鈥檚 leadership and wish him well in his new endeavor,鈥 Mohapatra said. 鈥淒r. Ustin has worked closely with the programs in the Muir Institute over the past three years, and is herself a pioneer in environmental research. Her experience and demonstrated leadership will help the institute continue its progress and impact during this transition.鈥
Ustin received a Ph.D. in botany from 芭乐视频 in 1983 and joined the faculty in 1990. At that time, using research data from satellites and airplanes was considered novel, but she went on to become a world leader in the field of remote sensing, which is now considered a mainstay for tracking environmental changes around the globe.
鈥淒espite the problems stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, we need to move forward with solutions for energy, food and water security for California,鈥 Ustin said, adding that the JMIE is perfectly suited for the task. 鈥淭here is no other organization on campus that has the breadth of mission to take on the intersecting program areas of environmental sustainability and health, climate change and sustainable solutions, and climate justice.鈥
Ustin will work with Majdi Abou Najm, associate professor, Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, and Beth Rose Middleton, professor and chair, Department of Native American Studies, to help advance the Muir Institute鈥檚 program, which leverages the broad expertise at 芭乐视频 to find solutions to the world鈥檚 most pressing climate problems.
Houlton joined the 芭乐视频 faculty in 2007 and served as the Muir Institute鈥檚 director for the last four years. Under his guidance, the institute became a leader in environmental sustainability and a hub for large multidisciplinary and out-of-the-box environmental programs.
He will remain principal investigator for the , which was initially supported by the state鈥檚 Climate Change Research Program. The center received a multiyear grant in 2019 from the California Strategic Growth Council to examine the capacity for soil amendments 鈥 rock, compost and biochar 鈥 to like carbon dioxide in agricultural soil.
鈥 Lisa Howard, communications specialist, Office of Research