UC Berkeley administrators announced the appointment of a new director for the Berkeley Institute of the Environment Thursday as part of an effort to reinvigorate research at the institute.
Last year, the institute temporarily halted its research projects to enter a phase of development meant to redefine its approach to environmental concerns. Martyn Smith, the center’s new director and a campus professor of toxicology, will spearhead the development process.
The institute waited to announce Smith’s appointment — which was made in March — until last week due to deliberations on whether or not to continue the center at all, questioning its necessity and impact on campus, according to Smith. At a research institution like UC Berkeley, new initiatives crop up so often that the institute is crucial for coordinating between them so “the sum can be bigger than the parts,” Smith said.
“We are determining how the BIE fits into the larger scheme of things,” said Tiff Dressen, manager of new initiatives and special projects for the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research. “Smith is very considerate about how the BIE will have the greatest impact for the campus and community — he’s doing his homework.”
Drawing on his background in the School of Public Health, Smith said he wants to structure a new theme for the institute around human survival in the face of global environmental change, “integrating human well-being while maintaining biodiversity.”
“People seem to think they can improve human health while the environment degrades and vice versa,” Smith said. “We need to figure how human health can be improved while maintaining the ecosystem we will rely on.”
Contact Virgie Hoban at [email protected]
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