Obrist named Vice Provost – Academic Personnel

May 2, 2022

I am thrilled to announce that Daniel Obrist will be joining UC ANR on Aug. 15, 2022, as the Vice Provost – Academic Personnel. Daniel will initially hold a 50% appointment through the end of 2022 before assuming the role full time on Jan. 1, 2023.

Currently, Obrist is a professor and the chairperson of the Department of Environmental, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. His academic and educational background includes ecology and ecosystem science, hydrogeology, atmospheric and environmental sciences, and soil science. He has published over 85 peer-reviewed publications including in high-impact scientific journals such as Nature, Nature Geoscience, Nature Reviews, and PNAS, and has a strong record of extramural research funding. Obrist has given more than 230 conference and seminar presentations.

Obrist is excited to begin working with UC ANR.

“I am excited to contribute to the important mission of UC ANR to bring research and knowledge generated by the UC system to the people of California,” he said. “In my role, I will strive to support academic personnel at UC ANR and help recruit additional outstanding scientists to further ANR's mission. As I said during my interviews, a guiding principle of mine is to further sustainability and protect natural resources, and I am committed to supporting Californians in adapting to a fast-changing environment.”

Please join me in welcoming Daniel Obrist!

Wendy Powers
Associate Vice President


By Pamela Kan-Rice
Author - Assistant Director, News and Information Outreach