Trained as a volcanologist, Jon has focused much of his attention over the past decade on urban sustainability. Before joining PSU in 2010 as Vice President for Research, he spent 30 years at Arizona State University, including stints as VP for Research and as Director of the Global Institute of Sustainability. He currently holds a part-time position at University of British Columbia, helping to build collaborations with other academic institutions in the Cascadia region. Jon received a BA from Colby College and a PhD from Stanford University. He is a member of the boards of the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, The Nature Conservancy's Oregon Chapter, the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center and KB Home.