New Head of School
Associate Professor John Townend has been appointed as the new Head of School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences.
Associate Professor John Townend has been appointed Head of School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences at Victoria University of Wellington. He was born and grew up in Rotorua and has worked at Victoria in a number of roles since completing his PhD at Stanford University in 2003.
Associate Professor Townend says it is a privilege to take on this role. "We work on the really big challenges facing New Zealand and the world in the 21st century—the environment and climate, hazards, and resources—from the fundamental physical processes to the effects on and of society."
His own research focuses on earthquake mechanics, fault zone structure, and hydrology. He directs the EQC Programme in Seismology and Fault Mechanics, was recently elected a Director of the Seismological Society of America, and co-leads the Deep Fault Drilling Project, a large international research project studying the Alpine Fault in the western South Island.
Associate Professor Townend took up his duties as Head of School on February 1, 2016.