A senior science advisor to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C., Lyon taught civil engineering and forestry at Ohio State University in the 1990s, specializing in remote sensing and GIS. He was a full professor in OSU’s Department of Civil Engineering, with a dual appointment in natural resources. He created a remote sensing doctoral program in civil engineering for the graduate school.
Lyon joined the EPA in 1999, where he was responsible for geospatial issues and related science policies. He worked with the White House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources and the Office of Science and Technology Policy, among other agencies.
“John’s experience at OSU and at the EPA will serve Humboldt State well in advancing research and creative activities, at both the graduate and undergraduate level, and in fulfilling the University’s commitment to maintaining outstanding graduate programs,” Provost Snyder said.
HSU’s dean for research and graduate studies oversees the Sponsored Programs Foundation, which is responsible for grants and contracts.
A native of Oregon, Lyon holds a doctorate in natural resources from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. “I started my career in a scientific discipline that didn’t even exist 25 years ago,” he notes. “I’ve worked in teams with people all over the world and helped shape government policy.” But now, he adds, he is eager to return to education because “the academy is in my blood.”