Executive Director, Andrew Sabin Family Center for Environment and Sustainability, to retire

Vice Provost for Research, Scholarly Inquiry, and Creative Activity Kim McAllister announced today that Dr. Stan Meiburg (’75), Executive Director of the Andrew Sabin Family Center for Environment and Sustainability, will retire from his position at the end of June. 

Meiburg has been instrumental in the revitalization of the Center following the generous endowment gift of the Andrew Sabin Family Foundation. Building on the accomplishments of the previous Center for Energy, Environment and Sustainability, Meiburg has overseen the development of the Center’s staff, the establishment of a permanent home for the Center on the Reynolda campus, and a very successful inaugural Sabin Center conference, Advancing Stewardship, last fall. Meiburg’s work has supported the Center’s vision of a more sustainable, just, and abundantly wild world, helping to catalyze a global community of innovators, educators, and advocates to tackle the essential environmental challenges of our time.

“Dr. Stan Meiburg exemplifies the highest ideals of Wake Forest University,” said Provost Michele Gillespie. “His extraordinary career in public service, coupled with his unwavering dedication to mentoring students and fostering environmental innovation, alongside his dedication to Wake Forest, have strengthened the University’s commitment to addressing some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Stan’s leadership of the Sabin Center has left an indelible mark on Wake Forest, positioning it as a celebrated hub for transformative sustainability work that aligns beautifully with our commitment to lifelong learning and inquiry and our motto of Pro Humanitate.”

Meiburg came to Wake Forest as Director of the Graduate Studies in Sustainability Program in July 2017, following a nearly four-decade career with the Environmental Protection Agency, culminating in his role as Acting Deputy Administrator under President Obama. Throughout his time at Wake Forest, Meiburg has also taught popular courses on environmental policy and politics and provided invaluable mentorship to both undergraduate and graduate students.

“Stan’s leadership has been nothing short of transformative,” said Miles Silman, Founding Director of the Center for Energy, Environment, and Sustainability. “His vision for the Sabin Center has brought new energy, direction, and resources to our work in environmental stewardship. Stan’s deep expertise and national leadership in environmental policy has elevated Wake Forest’s profile, and has brightened the future as Wake Forest leads on sustainability issues locally and globally.”

“The Sabin Center is off to a terrific start, “ said Meiburg.  “The commitment to environment and sustainability in the University’s strategic framework is exciting, and Wake Forest has so many faculty who are pursuing groundbreaking research and scholarly inquiry.  In addition, the increased engagement across the University, from the Office of Sustainability to the new ENV major, to initiatives in the Schools of Law, Medicine, and Business all demonstrate the range and depth of Wake Forest’s commitment to ‘Pro Humanitate’ in a space that is vital to the future of life on earth.  The Center has a bright and dynamic path forward.”

Meiburg is well-known across the country for a distinguished 39-year career in public service with EPA.  In addition to being EPA’s Acting Deputy Administrator, he was EPA’s Deputy Regional Administrator in the Southeast and South Central regions of the United States, as well as in EPA offices in Research Triangle Park and in Washington, DC.  While at Wake Forest, in 2017 he was appointed by Governor Roy Cooper to the North Carolina Environmental Management Commission (Chair 2019-2021) and was elected as a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration.  He is frequently quoted by national, regional and local news media, has lectured at many universities, and has received many professional honors.  Meiburg holds a B.A. from Wake Forest and masters and doctoral degrees in political science from The Johns Hopkins University.  

An Interim Director of the Center will be named this spring, and additional details about the future plans for the Center will be available in the coming months.