Daniel Press
Ph.D., 1992, Political Science, The Claremont Graduate University
M.A., 1989, Public Policy, The Claremont Graduate University
B.S., 1984, Fermentation Science, University of California, Davis
Daniel Press is an environmental social scientist whose research concerns California land use, water quality regulation, sustainable agriculture, and the "greening" of industry. Initially trained as a winemaker, he became interested in the environmental issues surrounding the wine industry in California and returned to school for advanced degrees in public policy (MA 1989) and political science (Ph.D 1992). He joined the Environmental Studies Department at UC Santa Cruz in 1992 and taught there until he was appointed Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Santa Clara University in 2020.
Among Daniel's notable accomplishments at UCSC were chairing the Chancellor's Council on Climate Change (2008-10) and serving as executive director of the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems (2012-2019). Daniel was appointed by California governors from two different political parties to the California Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, serving two successive terms.
Daniel's published work includes three books and more than 25 journal articles and book chapters, covering topics as diverse as hazardous waste management, natural resource voter behavior, sustainable agriculture, open-space preservation, and the politics and policy of biodiversity. His most recent book is American Environmental Policy: The Failures of Compliance, Abatement and Mitigation (2015).