Welcome

Opening Fall 2009 -
The welfare of the Earth and its inhabitants is a defining theme of the 21st century. Higher education has a powerful role to play in understanding and addressing environmental challenges, and the University of Washington’s College of the Environment is uniquely positioned to lead the quest for solutions.

Vision

As a public institution, it is our mission and responsibility to advance and disseminate knowledge in support of a better world. The UW has an unprecedented opportunity to focus our collective expertise to meet our planet’s environmental challenges and to train the next generation of leaders.

Guiding principles
• Discovery - Rigorous learning, high-impact research
• Development - Teamwork, innovative solutions
• Application - Positive, sustainable change

University of Washington President Mark Emmert talks about the new College of the Environment.

A strong foundation

The UW is home to one of the strongest collections of environmental intellectual talent in the world.

Unrivaled expertise - The University of Washington has over 400 faculty involved in environment-related research and education.

Program breadth - At the UW, there are more than 50 independent environmental programs, from degree-granting units to collaborative research centers.

Demonstrated success - The UW is responsible for over $140 million annually in environmentally related research.

How will the
college work?

The college is expected to be made up of three key elements:
• Degree-granting academic units organized around disciplines
• Dedicated faculty and staff from partnering departments and schools
• A central institute that will focus on particular issues and build partnerships with entities outside the UW

College updates

Environmental Institute - pre-proposals due October 1

President Emmert announces final decision to transition CFR into the School of Forest Resources

Draft UW Climate Action Plan released for review