Rabe to be named Natural Resources and Environment interim dean
ANN ARBOR—The appointment of Barry Rabe as interim dean of the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment (SNRE) will be recommended to the U-M Board of Regents at their June meeting. The appointment would be effective July 1 and is expected to be for an initial 12-month term while a national search is conducted.
Rabe will succeed Daniel A. Mazmanian, who has been dean since 1996 and will be the founding dean of a new School of Policy, Planning and Development at the University of Southern California, effective July 1.
Rabe, a U-M faculty member since 1985, is professor of environmental policy in SNRE and adjunct professor of political science in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LS&A). Prior to joining SNRE, he was a faculty member in the School of Public Health.
“Professor Rabe is a highly productive, widely published and esteemed scholar in environmental policy,” Provost Nancy Cantor said May 5 in announcing the recommendation. “His work addresses a wide range of topics, including pollution prevention, hazardous and low-level radioactive waste, environmental regulation, the changing role of federalism, Great Lakes policy and global climate change issues.
“He clearly is a superb teacher, accomplished scholar and dedicated member of the University community. He is recognized by his professional peers as a leading contributor to our understanding of environmental policy and its relationship to crucial natural resources,” the provost said.
“Under Dan Mazmanian’s leadership,” Cantor added, “the School of Natural Resources and Environment has flourished, and I am confident that the momentum will continue with Interim Dean Rabe at the helm.”
President Lee C. Bollinger said: “One of the highest services anyone can perform is to serve in an interim capacity. Therefore, I am extremely grateful to Barry for taking on this important position.”
Rabe holds a B.A. in history and urban studies from Carthage College, Kenosha, Wis.; an M.A. in urban studies from the University of Chicago; and a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Chicago.
He has held visiting appointments at the University of Wisconsin and Dartmouth College, and has held posts with the Brookings Institution, Conservation Foundation, Stanford University and the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago.
He is the author of “When Federalism Works” and “Beyond NIMBY,” both published by the Brookings Institution and widely recognized and respected for their systematic and far-reaching analyses. He has been the editor of the American Governance and Public Policy book series for the Georgetown University Press since 1994.
His honors include receipt of the Excellence in Teaching Award at the U-M School of Public Health and the William Anderson Award of the American Political Science Association for the Outstanding Dissertation in State and Local Politics, Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations. He is the first American to receive the J.E. Hodgetts Award for Outstanding Scholarly Contribution in “Canadian Public Administration,” presented by the Canadian Institute of Public Administration.
Rabe’s professional service has included work with the American Political Science Association, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the North American Environmental Assessment Panel. He is on the editorial boards of two journals and an article referee for a number of professional publications.
His U-M service has included membership on the Steering Committee for Environmental Issues and Research on Campus, the SNRE Research Committee, Committee on Future Directions of the School of Public Health, the executive committees of the School of Public Health and the Provost’s Task Force on Environmental Studies.
Rabe currently is a member of LS&A’s Undergraduate Environmental Sciences/Studies Curriculum Development Committee.
Barry RabeCollege of Literature, Science, and the ArtsNancy CantorLee C. BollingerBrookings InstitutionAmerican Governance and Public PolicyWilliam Anderson Award