Environmental policy expert Daniel Press is trading the beaches of Santa Cruz after 28 years for the Mission of Santa Clara. Press, associate dean and professor of environmental studies at University of California, Santa Cruz, has been selected as the new dean of SCU’s College of Arts and Sciences. He succeeds interim dean Terri Peretti.
Among his many accomplishments, Press raised $13 million for UCSC’s sustainable agriculture program; helped establish the Environmental Studies Ph.D., master’s program in Coastal Science and Policy, and Agroecology bachelor’s degree. He is the recipient of UCSC’s Golden Apple Teaching Award and the Excellence in Teaching Award. Previously, he was appointed by the governor and served for six years on the California Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, where he helped enforce clean water laws in the state.
[Read full press release]
Versed in bringing together scholars from disparate disciplines, Press comes prepared to create innovative interdisciplinary collaborations among the faculty. “Serving Santa Clara University in a leadership role that draws on all my skills and experience is deeply fulfilling and a tremendous honor,” says Press. “As a leader, I strive to convey an ambitious sense of what is possible, and in SCU, I find an institution willing to imagine—and enact—bold innovations on behalf of its community.”