Jonathan Overpeck

Dean’s Letter

 

Dear Friends,

As I reflect on the work of the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) community, I am struck by how passionate and dedicated you are to preserving our planet. Despite a difficult year in which we’ve faced increasing environmental setbacks that threaten the important and necessary work we are doing to fight climate change, you have shown me time and again that you are doubling down in your efforts to create a more sustainable, just future.

This was apparent to me at U-M’s first-ever Climate Week, which was held Sept. 27 to Oct. 5 with fantastic success. Co-sponsored by SEAS, Climate Week brought together all of U-M for interdisciplinary collaboration, inspiring engagement and real-world action. It was an energizing week that filled me with a deep sense of purpose and hope.

This is the time for climate solutions. Within these pages, you’ll find examples of how SEAS is powering public good. We’re turning research into action that produces solutions with real societal benefits, from how we’re addressing wildfires and climate migration to driving the future of vehicle electrification and sustainable cities. My own work is focused on researching how water security will be impacted in the coming decade, in both the western U.S. and other vulnerable regions around the globe. In short, the climate crisis is becoming a water crisis in many regions.

The scale of environmental challenges we face is immense, but we can solve these problems if we work together. Now, more than ever, we must communicate the impact that our work has on the lives of everyday people to ensure the public knows that investments in science and our planet must continue. Our lives, and the lives of all living things, depend on it. We invite you to join us in elevating the impact and importance of environmental work so that it endures and continues to create meaningful change. 

One way you can do this is by supporting Look to Michigan: Invent Tomorrow, our capital campaign. Join the thousands of alumni who have made a financial contribution to SEAS. Your support propels our students and faculty forward to address complex problems and create a more sustainable, just world.

Thank you for not only being stewards of the environment, but also stewards of hope, action and possibility. Together, we are unstoppable. 

With appreciation,

Peck
Jonathan Overpeck
Samuel A. Graham Dean 
William B. Stapp Collegiate Professor of Environmental Education

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Table of Contents
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Making Ann Arbor’s Bryant Neighborhood a Model for Sustainable Energy

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