CSUSB’s Water Resources Institute to oversee system-wide initiative under new director

San Bernardino, Calif. -- Boykin Witherspoon III, director of programs at Cal State San Bernardino’s Water Resources Institute, has been appointed executive director of the Water Resources and Policy Initiatives project by the chancellor of the California State University system.

This CSU-wide affinity group is designed to identify the capabilities and resources within its 23 campuses to provide academic preparation, applied research and policy development that address various aspects of water use.

"I am honored to assume leadership responsibilities for WRPI as its executive director and am excited to take the WRPI in new directions,” said Witherspoon. “This includes expanding student internship programs, offering project-based research opportunities to faculty across the CSU system, and increasing the focus on urban water issues."

The WRPI project, previously managed and administered at Fresno State University, was transferred to the San Bernardino campus’s Water Resources Institute this summer. Fresno State will continue to have an important leadership role in the WRPI.

“I commend the hard work and efforts put forth to date by Fresno's President John Welty and David Zoldoske, former WRPI executive director, who brought the project to where it is today,” Witherspoon said. “I plan to continue Fresno's valued work and further leveraging the water expertise of all 23 campuses to be a formidable resource for addressing the complex water issues facing our state today.”

In a letter about the project organization transfer, CSU Chancellor Timothy White said he hopes to increase state focus on urban water issues by moving the project to Southern California. He commended Cal State San Bernardino for a “strong track record of acquiring external funding.”

Witherspoon has been at CSUSB since 2011. No stranger to the CSU, the Redlands resident has held positions at other CSU campuses since 2006. Prior to CSUSB, he was the director of the Center for Geographic Information Science Research at Cal Poly Pomona, and he was an adjunct lecturer in the department of landscape architecture at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Witherspoon earned both a master’s degree in landscape architecture and a bachelor’s in fine arts from Louisiana State University.

For more information about the Water Resources and Policy Initiatives at CSUSB, visit the Water Resources Institute website or call (909) 537-7681.

For more information about Cal State San Bernardino, contact the university’s Office of Public Affairs at (909) 537-5007 and visit news.csusb.edu.