SPEA professsor White named director of new environmental program

Although his most recent endeavor has been investigating the possibility of life on Mars, Jeffrey White has been named the first director of IU’s new Integrated Program in the Environment.

The program is a joint effort between the Center for Research in Environmental Sciences, the School of Public and Environmental Affairs and the College of Arts and Sciences.

IPE is the first phase of a plan to more effectively tackle environmental science as called for in IU President Michael McRobbie’s “New Academic Directions” report.
White has worked as a researcher and professor in SPEA since 1983 and has also served as associate vice provost for IU and associate dean of SPEA.

“Jeff White is a wonderful choice to lead this new program due to his devotion to understanding change in complex environmental systems, his commitment to environmental education and his range of experience at IU,” SPEA Dean John Graham said in a press release.

White, who will be responsible for coordinating more than 60 scientists in at least seven academic departments and multiple schools, said IPE has the potential to transform environmental programs on campus, and the program will help with both education and scholarships.

“The IPE has explicit objectives to enhance research productivity and external funding for research, recruit top graduate students and develop an undergraduate curriculum in a subject matter critical to our world,” said Larry Singell, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

He said White will be charged with leading the College of Arts and Sciences and SPEA in preparing the next generation of scientists and policymakers for the increasingly important field.

“For students, there are exciting careers in business, government, non-profit organizations and universities,” Graham said.

White also recognizes the importance of the program and said IPE is an opportunity to establish IU in a “rapidly evolving and a highly competitive landscape.”

Provost and Executive Vice President Lauren Robel will provide additional information on the progress and future plan for IPE to the Board of Trustees when they meet Thursday at IU-Kokomo.

“There are extraordinary opportunities and significant challenges ahead,” White said.

— Michelle Sokol