It is well established that innovations arise when different perspectives are brought to bear on seemingly intractable problems. Simply Google innovation, diversity, and inclusion. You will find research supporting this claim in the Harvard Business Review, calls to action in Forbes, and the sound bite from Apple that I took for the title of this Dean’s Letter. In environmental sciences and resource management, inclusion doesn’t just inspire innovation—it changes everything. 

Interim President Ana Mari Cauce brought renewed focus to diversity, inclusion, and access at UW through her widely publicized address to the campus. In wake of her talk, many have asked me to define the College’s vision for diversity and I have a ready answer. I cite the need, especially in a college devoted to environmental sciences, to have “all hands on deck” – ensuring that access to our critically important research and education is never deterred by gender, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic background, or disability. 

As Dean I am often asked to explain the importance of the College of the Environment in simple, accessible language to the public—the proverbial “elevator speech.” In my first year as Dean I often described the size and scope of the College. And, in truth, it’s impressive: the biggest college of the environment in the United States, with $115 million in externally-funded research taking place on all seven continents and in each of the world’s oceans.