The following CalMessage was sent to all faculty and staff on June 27, 2025.
Dear colleagues,
Following a nationwide search, we are pleased to announce that Alicia Bihler will assume the role of Executive Director within UC Berkeley's Office of Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S), effective July 1, 2025.
Alicia has served as Acting Director of EH&S since 2023, providing steady leadership during a time of continued focus on campus safety, regulatory compliance, and emergency preparedness. As Executive Director, she will continue to lead EH&S, which plays a critical role in supporting UC Berkeley's mission of research, teaching and public service. EH&S helps to ensure a safe, healthy, and resilient campus environment for all faculty, staff, students and visitors. EH&S jointly reports to the Vice Chancellors of Research and Administration, and provides a broad range of essential services, including laboratory and workplace safety, fire prevention, hazardous materials management, environmental protection, public health guidance, and emergency management.
Alicia brings over 15 years of experience in environmental and sustainability services to this position, including more than nine years with UC Berkeley EH&S. She has held progressive leadership roles, serving as UC Berkeley Environmental Program Manager overseeing remediation and restoration of the Richmond Field Station, leading development of the 2017 EH&S strategic plan, and providing technical and policy analysis consulting, including enterprise-level land use strategy for the US Air Force and Marine Corps. As Acting Director for EH&S, Alicia oversaw the rollout of new UCOP presidential mandates (Maximum Allowable Quantities and Emergency Evacuation equipment) and regulatory requirements (Indoor Heat Illness and Workplace Violence Prevention), while also working to improve team performance across the EH&S organization.
We are confident that Alicia's deep experience in the field, her familiarity with the Berkeley campus, and her strong commitment to engagement, collaboration and service will be great assets as she assumes formal leadership of EH&S.
We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the Search Committee, and to the EH&S staff and management team for their support throughout this transition.
Please join us in welcoming Alicia to her new role.
Sincerely,
Katherine A. Yelick
Vice Chancellor for Research
Marc P. Fisher
Vice Chancellor for Administration