The University of Vermont has named Nancy E. Mathews dean of the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources. She will begin her UVM tenure July 1. 

A leading environmental scholar and educator, Mathews is currently director of the Morgridge Center for Public Service and professor of environmental studies at the Gaylord Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, both at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The Morgridge Center is the university’s hub for service, service-learning and community-based research. The Nelson Institute is one of country’s leading institutions for environmental education and research.   

Mathews, a nationally recognized wildlife biologist, has conducted extensive research in brown-headed cowbird behavior, white-tailed deer behavior and genetics, and chronic wasting disease. She is widely published, with 58 refereed papers published or in press in leading environmental publications and more than 140 presentations at conferences, symposia or workshops. She has been the single principal investigator or co-principal investigator on over 52 research projects with a total funding of over $8 million and completed the training of 29 graduate students.

Mathews was a recent fellow in the Committee for Institutional Cooperation Academic Leadership Program, chaired the Conservation Biology and Sustainable Development graduate program at the Nelson Institute and directed the reaccreditation process at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Prior to her position at UW-Madison, she was the assistant unit leader for the U.S. Geological Survey’s Texas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. Mathews served as a peer reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission from 2009-2013 and was recently elected to a four-year term on the commission’s Board of Trustees. She has served on the Board of Directors for the International Crane Foundation since 2006. 

Mathews earned her undergraduate degree from Pennsylvania State University and her master's and doctorate from the State University of New York’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

“We’re delighted to welcome Dr. Mathews to UVM,” said UVM president Tom Sullivan. “Her skill set is impressive and matches our culture and strategic goals very well. Not only is she a first-class researcher, she also is deeply committed to implementing strategies that engage students in their learning and in promoting faculty research that makes a difference in society. Not least, she is an adept fundraiser, a key advantage as UVM continues to advance its ambitious capital campaign.” 

“Dr. Mathews is leading environmental scholar and researcher,” said UVM provost David Rosowsky. “She also brings impressive leadership skills to her role as dean. At the University of Wisconsin, she directed a highly collaborative re-accreditation effort that helped shape the university’s current vision. She is a terrific addition to our academic leadership team and to our university.” 

“I am absolutely thrilled to be coming to UVM and leading the Rubenstein School,” Mathews said. “The university offers a perfect blend of things I care passionately about. The Rubenstein School has world class faculty tackling some of the most complex environmental issues on the planet. There is a strong emphasis on teaching and research with an interdisciplinary focus. And there is a real focus on research, outreach and community engagement."

Mathews takes the place of Jon Erickson, who has served as interim dean of the Rubenstein School since October of 2012.

“We’re deeply grateful to Jon for the careful dedication and leadership that he has brought to this important position,” said Sullivan. 

PUBLISHED

04-07-2014
Jeffrey R. Wakefield