Daniel Press, associate dean and professor of environmental studies at University of California, Santa Cruz, has been selected as the next dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Santa Clara University. He will begin his tenure on July 1, 2020.

Press, who has taught at UC Santa Cruz for 28 years, has extensive administrative experience and a long record of fostering faculty research. Among his many accomplishments, Press raised $13 million for UCSC’s sustainable agriculture program; helped establish the Environmental Studies Ph.D., master’s in Coastal Science and Policy and Agroecology bachelor’s degree program there; and acted as a mentor to dozens of faculty members and graduate students.

“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.”

In addition to extensive fundraising and experience developing and expanding academic programs, Press served as UC Santa Cruz’s executive director of the Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems. The educational, research, and public service organization is dedicated to increasing ecological sustainability and addressing social justice in the food system. By growing the Center’s undergraduate enrollments, research opportunities and endowments, Press situated the center to more effectively fulfill its objective of educating the next generation of farmers and leaders in sustainable agriculture.

“I am delighted that Daniel has agreed to serve as the next Dean of the College,” said Kevin O’Brien, S.J., president of Santa Clara University. “He is an accomplished scholar and a proven academic leader. He shares the aspirations and values of our Jesuit mission, including a commitment to the care of each person and service to the common good.  We look forward to welcoming him to campus this summer….”

 

The above comes from an April 8 news release from Santa Clara University.