UMass President Marty Meehan focuses on climate tech in his latest address
'UMass ... will be the engine that drives the state's economic ambitions, as we've been for 160 years,' Meehan said in the address.
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Meehan talked about some specific efforts that are already underway: climate resiliency research at UMass Boston's Stone Living Lab, UMass Dartmouth's work on sustainable fisheries, and water treatment and purification research at UMass Amherst. He also mentioned the importance of global partnerships, singling out the Clean Energy & Environment Legacy Transition Initiative that UMass Lowell and Boston University are working on with university partners in Ireland, as well as UMass Boston chancellor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco's efforts with the Vatican Climate Summit last year.
In an interview, Meehan said he believes it's important for UMass to put its research and teaching efforts to work to help with the state's economic development priorities. That includes researching innovative climate solutions and preparing a workforce for the new jobs that will open up.
'There's no question that the federal government is trying to take us back with regard to climate change,' Meehan said. '[But] I would argue that climate change is the existential threat of our time. ... Our goal is to position UMass to be the partner of choice for state government, the private sector in Massachusetts, and also globally.
This is an installment of our weekly Bold Types column about the movers and shakers on Boston's business scene.
Jon Chesto can be reached at
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