Christopher L. Sabine
Prior to his February 2022 appointment as interim Vice Provost for Research and Scholarship at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Christopher Sabine was the Associate Dean for Research at the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST). He also maintains an active research program with graduate, undergraduate, and postdoctoral researchers through the Oceanography Department. As iVPRS, Dr. Sabine hopes to enhance and raise awareness of the broad scope of world-class research being conducted at UH Mānoa. He is a strong proponent of collaboration and inclusivity, which he hopes to continue promoting in this new position.
Dr. Sabine received his PhD. in chemical oceanography from the University of Hawaiʻi in 1992. Since that time he has published over 160 journal articles and book chapters on carbon cycling, climate change and ocean acidification. His current research focuses on understanding the global carbon cycle, the role of the ocean in absorbing CO2 released from human activity, and ocean acidification. He has been a scientific advisor for a number of research programs in the U.S. and internationally. He has won several awards including the U.S. Department of Commerce Gold Medal Award for pioneering research leading to the discovery of increased acidification in the world’s oceans and was recognized by the Intergovernmental Program on Climate Change (IPCC) for his contributions to the IPCC when they were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007.
Dr. Sabine’s administrative experience started in his previous work for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), where he worked his way up from junior scientist to become a member of the U.S. Government Senior Executive Service, a designation only given to the top 0.3% of the Executive Branch’s civilian federal workforce. At the time he left NOAA, Dr. Sabine was the director of NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, managing approximately 200 scientists and engineers spread over two locations, with a $50M/yr budget. With various rolls in the UH Oceanography Department, a brief period as interim Director of the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB), and as SOEST Associate Dean for Research, Dr. Sabine has experience working with UH academic departments, research units, and the UH campus/system leadership that will be invaluable in his current role as iVPRS.
