Terrie Klinger (photo: Kathy Cowell)
Terrie Klinger (photo: K Cowell)

Professor Terrie Klinger has been named director of the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, and professor Billie Swalla has been named director of the Friday Harbor Laboratories on San Juan Island. Both are units within the College of the Environment, and each appointment is subject to approval by the Board of Regents. The appointments are for five years; Klinger will take her post effective September 1, while Swalla’s begins immediately.

Klinger is a marine ecologist motivated to better understand how our ocean ecosystems work, in part to help determine how best to manage those systems. In addition to her record of outstanding and impactful research in marine ecology and how humans connect to and use the marine environment, she is known for her commitment to student success and well-being.

Billie Swalla (photo: K Cowell)
Billie Swalla (photo: K Cowell)

Swalla is known internationally for her expertise on the evolution and development of invertebrates and has a strong record of mentoring undergraduates, graduate students and post-doctoral scientists in research. She is also a passionate advocate for the Friday Harbor Labs, both within the University of Washington and around the world, which has been a leader in the physiological, developmental, and ecological sciences over the past 100 years.

Both directors were selected through separate search committee processes where strong consensus emerged for each candidate. Committee recommendations were approved by Dean Lisa Graumlich.