Brad Smith to retire as dean of Huxley College

Bradley Smith, dean of Western Washington University’s Huxley College of the Environment, will be retiring from that position,

“Brad Smith is a visionary leader and his accomplishments at Huxley College will be felt for many years to come across the entire university and beyond,” said Western President Bruce Shepard. “Under his guidance, Huxley College’s prominent reputation has continued to soar in this state as well as across the country and internationally.”

Smith has been dean of Huxley College since 1994.

“I am very proud of what our students have accomplished, the result of outstanding faculty and staff at Huxley College. I will miss my many friends here at Western but know that Huxley College will continue to prosper and succeed as it has done for more than 40 years,” Smith said.

Under Smith’s leadership, the college has been noted for internationally recognized education, research and scholarship, and for forging partnerships locally, and across the state, nation and world. Huxley College has developed a thoughtful analysis of ways the college can best serve the state and region, summarized in a Draft Green Paper.

“We will all miss Brad Smith’s leadership, dedication and tireless and inspired advocacy for environmental education. Through the years he has recruited and retained outstanding faculty, who will continue to ensure that Huxley College’s future is bright,” said Catherine Riordan, Western’s Provost and vice president for Academic Affairs.

Smith has for many years been at the forefront of environmental education. He earned his doctorate in 1981 from the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources and Environment. He was the first director of Environmental Education at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. He has been a Fulbright Scholar to England and a NATO Fellow. He served as a senior environmental advisor to several major corporations and as an external evaluator for the U.S. Department of Energy. Formerly Smith served as an appointed member of President Clinton’s Council for Sustainable Development (Education Task Force).

In 2007, EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson appointed Smith to the EPA’s National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology (NACEPT), which advises the EPA on domestic and international policy issues. He also was appointed to the Commission on Education and Communication Steering Committee of the prestigious, Switzerland-based International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Smith also is a member of Washington State’s Fish and Wildlife Commission, to which he was appointed by the governor. He was appointed to the North Pacific Research Board by former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke. Smith also is a Fellow of the Institute of Environmental Science in the United Kingdom.

Smith’s research projects have included waterfowl, shorebird and wetland research for Environment Canada and the Canadian Fish and Wildlife Service and watershed management in the Great Lakes region. Of particular interest to him is the creation of multi-disciplinary environmental program partnerships.

Smith has written extensively on environmental issues and policy. Smith and Eldon Enger, emeritus professor of biology at Delta College in Michigan, authored the widely respected textbook “Environmental Science: A Study of Interrelationships.” The book, first published 30 years ago when environmental education was in its infancy, has been translated into many languages and will soon be published in its 13th edition.

Smith will serve as Huxley College dean until July and then will continue working on university projects for the next year, including on Western’s Clean Energy program.

The university is initiating an international search for the next dean of Huxley College of the Environment.
"Given Huxley College’s outstanding reputation and commitment to an exciting and forward looking agenda, I am confident we will be able to attract outstanding candidates to help lead this premier college,” Riordan said

WWU's Huxley College of the Environment is one of the oldest environmental colleges in the nation and a recognized national leader in producing the next generation of environmental stewards. The College's academic programs reflect a broad view of the physical, biological, social and cultural world. This innovative and interdisciplinary approach makes Huxley unique. The College has earned international recognition for the quality of its programs.