New Leadership for SAREP
I am pleased to tell you that Sean Swezey has agreed to become the new director of the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program. Dr. Swezey, an entomologist who currently serves as associate director of the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems at UC Santa Cruz, assumed his duties on Feb. 1, 1999. Dr. Swezey has built a distinguished career of research and outreach on a broad array of topics related to sustainable agriculture. He received A.B. and M.A. degrees in anthropology, a B.S. in conservation and resource studies, and a Ph.D. in entomological sciences, all from UC Berkeley. Dr. Swezey has held teaching and research appointments at UC Berkeley, Cornell University and UC Santa Cruz. He has served as Consulting Entomologist with the Organization of American States and with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Dr. Swezey emerged from a prolonged search for a new SAREP director as the top candidate. We are extremely fortunate to have identified a person of his experience to lead SAREP into the 21St century. He is an accomplished field researcher and has developed a reputation as a consensus builder among the major commodity growers on the Central Coast. He has studied the conversion from conventional to organic cotton farming in the San Joaquin Valley. He works well and easily with people and his considerable interpersonal skills should serve him well in his new position. I expect that SAREP will grow and prosper under his leadership.
Dr. Swezey and I have agreed that the SAREP offices should remain at Davis during this first transition year. As the transition progresses, I expect that Dr. Swezey may wish to move the office headquarters to a location on the Central Coast. Again, I would not expect such a move to occur until after the first transition year is over. Vice President Gomes and I are delighted that Sean has agreed to join us and we look forward to working with him in the coming years. I hope that all of you will have an early opportunity to meet Dr. Swezey and to welcome him to his new position.
On this occasion, I wish also to offer
my profound thanks to Dr. Robert Reginato for his service as Interim
Director of SAREP. Bob has provided steady and experienced leadership to the program
during the last seven months. He has been instrumental in guiding the development of the
new initiative on methyl bromide alternatives as well as the on-going Biologically
Integrated Farming Systems (BIFS) programs. I am deeply appreciative for his willingness
to postpone his retirement activities in order to serve the Division of Agriculture and
Natural Resources and the
University of California.—Henry J. Vaux, Jr., Associate Vice President,
Programs, UC Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
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