Photo by Mathew Burciaga.
The Stone Center for Environmental Stewardship at UC Berkeley is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Madhavi A. Colton as its inaugural Executive Director.
Dr. Colton brings over two decades of experience in conservation, scientific research, and organizational leadership to the role. Most recently, she served as Vice President and Executive Director of Audubon California, where she spearheaded initiatives to improve California's resilience to climate change through education, community outreach, policy, and habitat conservation.
"We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Colton to lead the Stone Center," said Faculty Co-Directors Arthur Middleton and Stephanie Carlson. "Her unique blend of scientific expertise, strategic vision, and collaborative leadership style makes her ideally suited to advance our mission of large landscape conservation through community-engaged research."
Prior to her work with Audubon, Dr. Colton spent nearly a decade with the Coral Reef Alliance, culminating in her role as its Executive Director. There, she expanded the international visibility of the organization and secured millions in funding for innovative research on coral reef adaptation to climate change.
Dr. Colton holds a Ph.D. in Marine Biology from the University of Melbourne and has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals including Ecology, Nature Climate Change, and Nature Ecology & Evolution. She is recognized for her ability to bridge scientific research and practical conservation efforts, as well as her commitment to fostering diverse and inclusive teams.
"I am honored to join the Stone Center at this critical time for conservation," said Dr. Colton. "I look forward to working with the talented UC Berkeley team and our partners to develop and implement durable and just large-scale conservation actions that benefit both ecosystems and local communities."
The Stone Center for Environmental Stewardship, established through a generous gift from James M. and Cathleen D. Stone, is dedicated to increasing the pace, scale, equity, and durability of large-scale conservation by catalyzing new forms of university engagement with communities on the front lines of environmental change.
For more information, please contact:
Julie Gipple
Director of Communications
Rausser College of Natural Resources, UC Berkeley
julie_gipple@berkeley.edu