UCLA has selected Curtis Plotkin to be assistant vice chancellor for the office of environment, health & safety. He will start on Aug. 1.
Plotkin will oversee a team of more than 70 employees across divisions including: administration; environmental, occupational and safety programs; research safety and high containment program; UCLA Fire; and the UCLA Office of Emergency Management.
He will help develop the department’s strategic vision and service strategy, lead specialized teams and subject matter experts in implementing programs to enhance the safety of the broader campus community, and serve as a member of various local and systemwide safety committees. Plotkin will also act as a liaison for internal and external stakeholders on matters requiring department engagement and evaluation.
Before joining UCLA, Plotkin served as director of environmental health and safety at UC Davis since 2014. He spent eight years at Cal State Fullerton, where he served as director of environmental health and safety from 2012–14 and the campus’s environmental compliance officer from 2006–12. Plotkin has also worked as a consultant with industrial and military sites, managed hazardous waste, and was part of emergency response teams involving train derailments and refinery disasters.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in geology from Cal State Dominguez Hills and a master’s in contaminant hydrogeology from Cal State Los Angeles.
“With more than 30 years of experience in the private sector, government and higher education, Curtis is uniquely qualified to help lead in this critical role,” said Michael Beck, administrative vice chancellor. “We are thrilled to welcome him into the Bruin family.”
