Dennis Hartmann, professor of Atmospheric Sciences in the College of the Environment, has agreed to serve as interim dean from July 1 until Maya Tolstoy begins as the Maggie Walker Dean on Jan. 1, 2022. Hartmann served as interim dean of the College when it formed in 2009 until July 1, 2010 when Dean Lisa Graumlich began her term. As an atmospheric scientist who studies the atmosphere’s role in climate variability and change, and how the atmosphere interacts with the ocean in a changing climate, Hartmann’s principal areas of expertise are atmospheric dynamics, remote sensing, and mathematical and statistical techniques for data analysis. 

University of Washington alumna and former head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Jane Lubchenco will deliver the 2021 UW virtual commencement address on June 12. Lubchenco, now a professor at Oregon State University, was recently tapped by President Joe Biden to serve in an historic, newly created role as Deputy Director for Climate and Environment in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, which has been elevated to the President’s Cabinet. 

Maya Tolstoy has been named the Maggie Walker Dean of the College of the Environment, University of Washington Provost Mark Richards announced today. Tolstoy’s appointment as dean, set to begin Jan. 1, 2022, is subject to approval by the UW Board of Regents. Tolstoy succeeds Lisa J. Graumlich, who is stepping down at the end of the 2020-2021 academic year to serve as president-elect of the American Geophysical Union.