After six years as Director of the ENVS Program, Dr. Rebecca Kelly is stepping down to take an early retirement. The program is delighted to announce that Dr. Jerry Burgess, currently Director of the MS in Environmental Sciences and Policy and the MS in Geographic Information Systems within JHU’s Advanced Academic Programs, will be taking over for her on July 1, 2022. Having earned his PhD from JHU’s Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Dr. Burgess brings a wealth of experience in teaching and environmental issues to this position. He has taught several very popular courses for the program for many years and so is a familiar face around the department.

Dr. Kelly will remain affiliated with the program as an Adjunct Associate Professor during the leadership transition. She and her husband plan to homestead at their farm in the southern Virginia Blue Ridge, raising their own fruit, vegetables, and livestock, and practicing self-reliance and sustainability.