As the Tykeson Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Chris is committed to advancing the liberal arts mission and scholarly excellence of the college, and to creating a diverse community where all are welcome and can thrive. He believes that the teaching, learning, research, creation, and service that happens in the college contributes to making a more just, equitable, and sustainable world. His aim is to foster an inclusive climate that supports and celebrates this work.

As dean, Chris oversees the operations of the College of Arts and Sciences, which offers 51 major degree programs in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, and includes 900 faculty members and more than 2,000 employees. He sits on the Academic Leadership Team and the Dean’s Council. 

Chris is a climate scientist and professor of earth science at the University of Oregon. His research seeks to understand the causes of past climate change on Earth and what lessons they hold for predicting our future climate. Much of his work uses advanced theoretical climate models as tools for exploring climate processes and dynamics. To do his work, he collaborates closely with geologists, environmental scientists, and ecologists. He has co-authored over 130 articles on topics such as past cold and warm climates, climate-mountain interactions, and earth system modeling.

Read Chris Poulsen's CV.

Executive support: Jennifer Crowder

1999   Ph.D., Geosciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA

1994   B.A., Geology, Carleton College, Northfield, MN