Greetings from the Dean's Office.

Jonathan Overpeck

I’m somewhat new to U-M myself, having arrived in August 2017. I came to Ann Arbor in pursuit of a lifelong dream to move the needle in society. There’s no better place than the University of Michigan to make a real impact, a real difference.

If you’re like me, you already know that Michigan has a fantastic reputation. But you’ll soon learn how wildly interdisciplinary this university really is. Many schools claim interdisciplinary expertise, but Michigan takes it to the highest levels. With nearly 100 programs that hold Top 10 rankings and span the full spectrum of disciplines, at Michigan we can make the connections and mine the expertise we need to tackle any of our world’s environment and sustainability challenges.

You’ll also be impressed by the breadth and depth of our community’s engagement in the world. At SEAS, we have a century-old tradition of engagement, but never before has it been so interdisciplinary, so international, and so diverse. We train our students for what they will actually experience in their professional lives as leaders of environmental sustainability.

You may be surprised to learn that both sustainability and engagement are top priorities for the entire University of Michigan, coming straight from the Office of the President. We at Michigan want to be literally the world’s best in environment and sustainability. We want to lead the change in how universities engage with society. And SEAS is poised to set the bar in partnership with the whole U-M campus.

Finally, if you’re like me, you’ll be amazed by the strength of our community’s passion. One and all are fully committed to help create a world that is environmentally sustainable and just. It’s what gets each of us out of bed every morning.

I hope you’ll join us in this mission. Go Blue!

-Peck

About me

  • Born in Iowa, raised in Michigan and Connecticut
  • Earned a bachelor's, master's, and PhD in Earth Sciences
  • As an undergrad, almost majored in History instead
  • Was a cross-campus leader of environmental programs at the University of Arizona for 17 years
  • Shared a Nobel Prize for climate change work
  • Currently conducting research on every continent except Antarctica
  • Now leading the University of Michigan through a major expansion of its environment and sustainability initiatives