Climate scientist to take Nich School reins

William Chameides will take over as dean of the Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences Sept. 1, Provost Peter Lange announced Wednesday.

"Bill Chameides is a creative, visionary leader who is widely respected in the academic and non-academic environmental communities, both as a research scientist and for his ability to bring people together around complicated environmental issues," Lange said in a statement. "President [Richard] Brodhead and I believe Bill has the global perspective, the scientific insight and the administrative and communications experience needed to build upon the Nicholas School's nationally recognized excellence in research and in training scientists and policy makers."

Chameides, chief scientist for environmental advocacy group Environmental Defense and Regents' professor emeritus at the Georgia Institute of Technology, said the Nicholas School's future progress should be closely tied to the private sector.

"The Nicholas School is really unique in the country, it trains professionals to apply to environmental problems," he said. "We need to consider how human society relates to these ecosystem services.... We need to take a sober look at where the Earth is heading and how we can play a role in it."

Chameides identified climate and urbanization issues as environmental concerns the current generation faces and said that under his charge, the Nicholas School will work to mitigate them.

Ana Barros, professor of civil and environmental engineering and a member of the search advisory committee, said Chameides was selected out of five finalists.

"We're very fortunate to have him, he is outstanding in so many ways," she said. "Bringing in someone like him can only increase [the school's] reputation across the nation-even internationally because of his caliber."

Chameides said he is excited to join and help improve the University.