Dr Jan Wright is New Zealand's third Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment

Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment

The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment is an independent Officer of the New Zealand Parliament appointed by the Governor-General on the recommendation of the House of Representatives for a five-year term under the Environment Act 1986...

. She was sworn in as Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment for a five-year term on 5 March 2007.

Wright has a Physics degree from the University of Canterbury

University of Canterbury

The University of Canterbury , New Zealand's second-oldest university, operates its main campus in the suburb of Ilam in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand...

, a Masters degree in Energy and Resources from Berkeley University

University of California, Berkeley

The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...

 in California, and a PhD in Public Policy from Harvard University

Harvard University

Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...

. Prior to her current role, Wright worked as an independent policy and economic consultant for many different NZ government agencies and as a member of various Crown Entity Boards. She was the board chairman of Land Transport New Zealand

Land Transport New Zealand

Land Transport New Zealand was a Crown entity in New Zealand, tasked with promoting safe and functional transport by land, and includes responsibilities such as driver and vehicle licensing...

, and in that role was the presenter of the 2005 Cycle Friendly Awards

Cycle Friendly Awards

The New Zealand Cycle Friendly Awards were devised by the Cycling Advocates' Network in 2003. The purpose of the awards is to acknowledge and celebrate some of the most notable achievements in the country that are helping to promote cycling and to create a cycle-friendly environment.- History and...

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