Peter Goodwin, Ph.D. Named President of University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
Appointee is Professor, Director of
Center for Ecohydraulics Research at University of Idaho
Adelphi, MD (July 5, 2017) -- The University System of
Maryland (USM) Board of Regents has appointed Peter Goodwin, Ph.D., as
president of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
(UMCES). He will join UMCES on September 18, 2017.
"The Board
of Regents is delighted that Dr. Goodwin has accepted the appointment as the
next president of UMCES," said USM Board Chair James T. Brady. "The board
was impressed with the range of his research and expertise, and the highly
positive personal dynamic he brings to leading an institute that stretches
across Maryland from the Eastern Shore to the Appalachians."
Goodwin is
the founding director of the Center for Ecohydraulics Research at the
University of Idaho, an interdisciplinary group working on the simulation of
ecological response to management actions or changes in physical processes of
rivers, lakes, estuaries, and wetlands. His research interests are in modeling
physical processes in natural and disturbed aquatic systems, and quantifying
benefits of restoration activities. These activities include the River Basin
Assessment Framework (RBAF) to evaluate the sustainability of river systems
under different management scenarios.
Goodwin has
participated in river restoration, coastal wetland sustainability, flood
control, and sediment management projects throughout California and the
Columbia River Basin. He has served on the Science Board for Coastal Louisiana.
International
studies include collaborations in many countries, such as the Patagonian
Ecosystems Research Center (CIEP) in Chile. He currently serves as president of
IAHR, or the International Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering
(www.iahr.org), one of the oldest international research institutions focusing
on water and the environment. IAHR world headquarters are located in Madrid,
Spain, and Beijing, China.
He also holds the
position of DeVlieg Presidential Professor of Civil Engineering. Goodwin has
undertaken numerous modeling studies of estuarine, coastal, and tidal wetland
systems, including Mugu Lagoon, San Elijo Lagoon, Venice Lagoon, San Dieguito
Lagoon, the Russian River Estuary, Napa Salt Ponds, and Delaware Bay.
"Peter
Goodwin brings to UMCES an array of expertise that fits ideally into its
mission for the future," USM Chancellor Robert L. Caret said. "As a leading
research center that seeks to understand and manage the world's environmental
resources, UMCES will be well-served by Peter's vision and leadership."
Goodwin served a
federal appointment as the lead scientist for the Delta Science Program in
California (2012-15). This program supports research, communication (including
an online peer-reviewed journal), and facilitates synthesis activities across
agencies, academia, and organizations that support the legally mandated
co-equal goals of water supply reliability, and ecosystem recovery. He led a
multi-institutional initiative to craft the Delta Science Plan, ‘One Delta, One
Science,' that addresses the development of scientific infrastructure,
prioritization of science questions, research funding, peer review, and science
synthesis activities to inform water policy in California.
Goodwin will
succeed Donald F. Boesch, who has led UMCES as president since 1990 and announced
in September 2016 that he will step down in late 2017. Boesch is one of the
nation's most recognized and experienced experts in the application of science
to policies for the protection, sustainable use, and restoration of coastal
ecosystems and for adaptation to global climate change. He will remain on the
faculty for at least one year to complete several publications and research
projects.
"I am delighted to
be joining the outstanding group of researchers and staff at UMCES," Goodwin
said. "I value the opportunity to honor the strong legacy of UMCES and its
collaborations across the state to support Maryland, as well as growing UMCES
scientific collaborations throughout the United States and globally."
Goodwin
earned his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley in 1986. He holds
a M.S. in hydraulic and coastal engineering from the same institution. He
earned his B.S. in civil engineering from the University of Southampton.
Among his
many awards and honors are the Research Excellence Award from the University of
Idaho (2008) and a Fulbright Award (2003-2004).
The
appointment of Goodwin follows nearly a half-year of work by the search and
screening committee appointed by Chancellor Caret in December 2016. Robert D.
Rauch, a member of the USM Board of Regents and a principal with the civil
engineering and construction management firm RAUCH inc., of Easton, Md.,
chaired the search committee. The committee included representatives from UMCES
faculty, staff, students, and alumni, and from the greater community. The
committee recommended finalists for consideration by Chancellor Caret and the
Board of Regents. The board made the final appointment.
The
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science is a leading research
and educational institution working to understand and manage the world's
resources. Comprised of the Appalachian Laboratory in the mountains of western
Maryland, the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory at the mouth of the Patuxent
River, the Horn Point Laboratory on the Eastern Shore, the Institute of Marine
and Environmental Technology in Baltimore, UMCES scientists provide sound
advice to help state and national leaders manage the environment, and prepare
future scientists to meet the global challenges of the 21st century.
UMCES also administers the Maryland Sea Grant in College Park, Md.
To learn
more about UMCES, visit www.umces.edu.
Contact: Mike Lurie
Phone: 301.445.2719
Email: mlurie@usmd.edu
