Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability

For life on Earth. Forever.

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A blueprint for mapping melting ice sheets

Stanford researchers have created an open-source tool so other scientists can make ice-penetrating radar systems at a fraction of the cost of current methods.

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The rise of plant life changed how rivers move, study shows

Research reveals that unvegetated meandering rivers can geologically masquerade as braided rivers, suggesting they were much more common in the first 90 percent of Earth’s history than previously thought.

Read the plant life story

Our mission

The Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability advances knowledge, solutions, and impact through research and education to create a thriving, enduring future for humanity and the planet.

About the school

Building on Stanford University’s foundational commitment to improving lives, the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability launched in 2022 as the university’s first new school in 75 years. Departments create new knowledge and train future leaders. For life on Earth. Forever.

For solutions that enable thriving cities, communities, and nature. 

Civil & Environmental Engineering

For exploring planets to understand our world. 

Earth & Planetary Sciences

For new understanding of Earth’s interconnected systems. 

Earth System Science

For engineering the energy systems our future demands. 

Energy Science & Engineering

For creating environmentally sustainable social and economic systems.

Environmental Social Sciences

For turning signals into discoveries and solutions.

Geophysics

For ocean discovery, science, education, and solutions that sustain life on Earth.

Oceans

Institutes innovate across disciplines

For real-world solutions sustaining the environment, climate, and people.

Woods Institute for the Environment

For turning ideas into impact.

Sustainability Accelerator

More about the Sustainability Accelerator

Meet the Dean

“From studying how electricity can be affordable and sustainable for all, to designing future cities where people and nature thrive, we’re shaping a new paradigm for research, education, and impact, focused on humanity and the planet.”

Arun Majumdar
Chester Naramore Dean, Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability
Jay Precourt Professor of Mechanical Engineering and of Energy Science & Engineering
Senior Fellow, Precourt Institute for Energy

Meet the Dean

Research and impact

Stories

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‘Necessity can drive innovation’
July 10, 2026

AI is contributing to a rising demand for electricity – a pressing sustainability challenge. Professor Will Chueh says it can also be part of the solution, by accelerating advances and deployment in energy technologies.

Stanford Report
Faculty
Researchers confirm cause of Earth’s biggest mass extinction
July 8, 2026

Through experiments comparing living representatives of animal groups that dominated Paleozoic oceans with those that thrive today, Stanford scientists have directly linked the disappearance of once-dominant marine groups to intolerable heat and diminished oxygen in ancient oceans.
Mass extinctions
Hotter, drier weather could double water bills in some cities, study finds
July 8, 2026

Hotter, drier conditions could leave millions of Americans struggling to afford tap water. The cost of drought resilience measures, such as desalination plants, will likely fall on ratepayers, with the greatest impact on low-income and minority communities, according to the research.

Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment
Freshwater resources

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At the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, we are fueled by optimism, hard work, creativity, and a clear mission. Learn more about our community and subscribe to our newsletter.