Our very own Mark Fretz is now the interim director of IHBE. Congratulations Mark!
See the letter from the Dean of the University of Oregon College of Arts and Sciences, Adrian Parr:
Dear colleagues and friends,
It is with tremendous excitement that I write to you today to announce our new interim director of the Institute for Health in the Built Environment (IHBE) is Mark Fretz.
Mark has been the Associate Director of Outreach at IHBE, Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Architecture, and Associate Director of Knowledge Exchange at the Institute for Health in the Built Environment. He directs the Institute’s industry research consortium, Build Health, which leverages design thinking and transdisciplinary science collaboration to develop and apply innovative design solutions for low-carbon buildings that simultaneously promote healthier individuals, communities, and the planet. Prior to practicing architecture, Mark was a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Public Health Service. As a designer, Mark has worked on projects ranging from product design to healthcare, single and multi-family housing, embassies, office buildings, and district-scale master planning. His research and teaching focus on exploring the unseen in the design of the built environment that affects human health across scales ranging from microbes and molecules to energy and carbon.
Mark is a tremendous researcher, professor, and investigator who embodies the talent and expertise that is found in our research organizations and we are incredibly excited to celebrate this seamless leadership transition from Kevin to Mark.
As the lead principal investigator for numerous studies and co-lead for some of our biggest research projects, including our current work alongside the Oregon Mass Timber Coalition and TallWood Design Institute, Mark is uniquely positioned to step seamlessly into this leadership role.
Mark will be firmly committed to his role as interim director, helping lead the IHBE and the labs underneath that umbrella, as they continue to leverage the knowledge and expertise of our researchers to deliver on current projects and create new, exciting research for the university.
We want to thank Kevin for leading our research teams to this point and know that we are in capable hands with Mark’s transition. I can’t wait for the fresh infusion of energy, talent, stability, and work that Mark will bring to his new role.
Sincerely,
Adrian ParrDean, College of Design