Dear Colleagues,
Earlier today, June 23, the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) announced Elena Irwin’s appointment as the next dean of Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, effective Sept. 21.
In addition to serving as a faculty member in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, Elena serves as the director of the Sustainability Institute. Elena founded the Sustainability Institute at Ohio State in 2019, along with former Executive Director Kate Bartter, and has worked closely with faculty leaders from across the university to advance sustainability research, education and partnerships. Under her leadership, the institute has supported interdisciplinary teams and leveraged internal investments to secure more than $90 million in external funding for sustainability research and education initiatives.
Most recently, Elena supported a team of faculty, led by Dr. Mike Bisesi, professor emeritus in the College of Public Health, and Professor David Cole, geochemist in the School of Earth Sciences, to develop a new proposed professional Master of Energy Sustainability degree program in partnership with the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Engineering, and Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences and the Graduate School. Prior to this, Elena collaborated with Professor Jeff Sharp, rural sociologist in the School of Environment and Natural Resources, to develop and launch Ohio State’s first sustainability major in Environment, Economy, Development, and Sustainability (EEDS). Since 2012, EEDS has graduated over 500 students working in sustainability and related jobs across multiple sectors.
A strong advocate for translating sustainability scholarship into practice, Elena served as an appointed member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Scientific Advisory Board from 2021 to 2024 and is president-elect of the National Sustainability Society.
In 2023, Elena was one of three individuals honored with the title of Distinguished University Professor, Ohio State’s highest faculty honor.
We will have time to celebrate Elena and her contributions in the coming months. In the meantime, please join me in thanking Elena for her distinguished service at Ohio State.
I will be working with Vice Provost Randy Smith to identify the next director of the Sustainability Institute and ensure a smooth transition.
Sincerely,
Trevor Brown
Interim Executive Vice President and Provost