Jeff Wright will take over as dean of the College of Sciences and Technology (CST) at Western Washington University in September. Wright was hired following a national search and will succeed Arlan Norman, who is retiring.

“I am absolutely delighted that Dr. Wright will be joining our leadership team in September. He has broad and successful experience in science, technology and the environment that are a good fit for Western,” Provost Catherine Riordan said in a press release.

Wright is a professor of engineering and founding and current co-director of the Center for Computer and Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS) at University of California, Merced. He received his doctorate in geography and environmental engineering from Johns Hopkins University, and his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Washington’s Department of Civil Engineering in water and air resources. As an undergraduate he attended WWU during his freshman year.

Since 2001 Wright has helped build the 10th campus of the UC Merced with an emphasis on undergraduate research. There he concurrently served as the founding dean of engineering, interim director of the Energy Research Institute, and helped start the general education program as inaugural dean of College One.