Dear Campus Leaders and the Rausser College of Natural Resources Community,
We are very pleased to announce that David Ackerly has been reappointed as dean of the Rausser College of Natural Resources for a second five-year term, beginning July 1, 2023.
David has had a successful first term with many accomplishments and has shown strong leadership under very challenging circumstances. Under David’s leadership, Rausser College has launched a Master of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics program and has proposals in progress for a self-supporting Master of Climate Solutions degree program that will also be a concurrent degree with the Haas School of Business. David has also expanded the college faculty, hired excellent staff leaders, and has broadened college programs and support related to diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging and justice. He appointed Rausser College’s inaugural associate dean of equity and inclusion to support departmental DEIBJ activities and oversee the implementation of best practices for equitable faculty hiring and graduate student admissions.
David also has an impressive record in development. In partnership with his development team, Rausser College is conducting an active and very successful capital campaign that has resulted in $162 million in donations to the college so far, and includes substantial gifts to support graduate students and faculty as well as the college’s naming gift.
Beyond Rausser College, Dean Ackerly is a highly active and valued member of the Council of Deans. He is a knowledgeable and thoughtful leader, especially around issues related to climate change; in addition, he is a valuable and collaborative partner in addressing shared challenges and working on joint initiatives. Notably, he led the campus’s Climate Equity and Environmental Justice faculty cluster hire and has launched the California-China Climate Institute with Berkeley Law and The Eric and Wendy Schmidt Center for Data Science and Environment with the Division of Computing, Data Science and Society. He also serves as the academic lead for the Energy, Climate, and Environment theme of the Light the Way campaign.
We invite you to read more about David’s achievements and future plans for Rausser College
Please join us in congratulating David on his reappointment, his accomplishments and his continuing work on important goals that will strengthen many aspects of Rausser College and campus for years to come.
Sincerely,
Carol T. Christ
Chancellor
Benjamin E. Hermalin
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost