June 30, 2025
Joel Thornton named interim dean of the College of the Environment
University of Washington Provost Tricia R. Serio announced that Joel Thornton has agreed to serve as interim dean of the College of the Environment, effective July 1, until a new permanent dean is selected.
Thornton will step into the position vacated by Maya Tolstoy, who recently announced she is leaving the UW.
As professor and chair of the Department of Atmospheric and Climate Science, Thornton is an atmospheric chemist. He studies the impacts of human activities on air quality and climate through changes to the atmosphere’s composition and chemistry. Thornton has received an NSF CAREER Award and a NASA New Investigator Award, given to young researchers who show exceptional promise. He also received the Houghton Award from the American Meteorological Society and the ASCENT Award from the American Geophysical Union for his research contributions to the field of atmospheric science.
Serio said that a search advisory committee will be appointed to launch a national search for a new dean this fall.
Tag(s): College of the Environment • Joel Thornton • Tricia Serio