Hahrie Han Installed as Anton Vonk Associate Professor of Environmental Politics

On Friday, March 4, members of the Department of Political Science, the wider campus, and the Santa Barbara community gathered for the Investiture of Hahrie Han as the Anton Vonk Associate Professor of Environmental Politics. The chair was endowed by the late Anton Vonk and his wife, Diane Boss. Anton Vonk joined the Political Science graduate program after a distinguished business career and received his masters in 2005.

The investiture featured remarks by Chancellor Henry Yang, Dean Melvin Oliver (SAGE Sara Miller McCune Dean of Social Sciences, Executive Dean of Letters and Sciences), Department Chair Bruce Bimber, Lancaster Professor Benjamin Jerry Cohen (who was Anton Vonk’s advisor in the program), and Diane Boss.

Hahrie Han gave an inaugural lecture providing an overview of her research, which focuses on the politics of social policy, especially political organizing, political activism, power-building for social change, civic associations, and environmental politics. In addition to her wide reaching research employing the latest methods, Professor Han excels in the classroom and in policy advisory roles including co-chairing a Policy Advisory Committee for President Barack Obama in 2007-2008.