School highlights
This brief presents computer vision as an essential technique that can help policymakers understand residential solar usage. The research uses computer vision to build a nationwide dataset to capture information about solar PV deployment in the United States across time and geography in an automated and scalable manner.
"I was born in Kumasi, Ghana, and moved to the U.S. with my parents and older sister when I was 2 years old. We lived in a predominantly white and wealthy suburb of Phoenix, Arizona, where I really never saw individuals who looked like me, which often left me feeling out of place."
Julia Novy discussed new forms of leadership in the context of sustainability.
In recognition of Women in Medicine Month this September, Stanford’s Center for Innovation in Global Health is celebrating female leaders working at the intersection of climate change and medicine.
Environmental Venture and Realizing Environmental Innovation grants foster interdisciplinary solutions.
In the year since its formation, the school has started addressing sustainability challenges and contributing to a future where humans and nature thrive in concert and perpetuity. Here, we look back on our inaugural year and some of the many milestones across our community, education, research, and impact.
Seetah, an environmental archeologist, will be leading the Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources (E-IPER), which offers PhDs within the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability and joint and dual MS degrees with other schools within the university.
One year after the launch of the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, Dean Arun Majumdar reflects on the school’s milestones and his hopes for the future.
The center’s Innovation Transfer Program awarded grants to help 11 new teams advance energy technologies and sustainability ventures.
The Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability has launched two graduate certificate programs, in Sustainable Energy and in Climate Change. A third program in Sustainable Decision Making will be coming soon.
Four Stanford doctoral students have won the opportunity to move their advances in decarbonized cement, thermal energy conversion, low-cost gas detection, and water management toward real-world implementation.
Johnathan Payne, Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences, has completed a term as a Stanford FAN Leadership Fellow.
A veteran of mid-century highway and dam projects, Parker was enticed to Stanford by the opportunity to bring rigor to the construction industry.
Six summer programs for undergraduate students are under the umbrella of the Doerr School of Sustainability, creating a new cohort across disciplines.
Alberto Tono, a CEE PhD student, participated in a new program offered by the Stanford institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI) that gives students an opportunity to explore their ideas on how AI might be used to improve human lives.
A report from the Stanford Law School Policy Lab and Bezos Earth Fund addresses a key piece in the fight against climate change.
A new report was led by an expert steering committee including Michael Mastrandrea, research director of the Climate and Energy Policy Program at the Woods Institute for the Environment.
McCarty specialized in harnessing bacteria for water purification and renewable energy.
The new doctoral program in the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability will take an interdisciplinary approach to global marine challenges.
A spring-quarter course taught by Stanford professors William Barnett and Chris Field asked students to consider solutions to global predicaments. “This new generation will be known as the greatest generation ... they will be building sustainability into everything they do.”
A new Stanford postdoc program focused on energy is developing a global community of future leaders to realize the vision of sustainable, affordable, secure energy for all.
The annual event, which made its first appearance at Stanford this year, convened Pac-12 universities to discuss sustainability efforts on college campuses and athletic departments.
Students harnessed the power of big data with the guidance of faculty and industry mentors to propose groundbreaking solutions to wildland fire issues in the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability’s Big Earth Hackathon.
Recipients of the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability’s Excellence in Teaching Awards are selected based on nominations from students, faculty, and staff.
Dean Arun Majumdar encouraged the inaugural class of graduates to use their knowledge, leadership, and commitment to make a positive impact on the world at the school’s commencement celebration.
Chloe Haydel Brown (MS Sustainability '25) is among those awarded Fulbright Grants supporting a variety of projects, including lowering methane's contribution to global warming and investigating ocean acidification's impact on human health through seafood.
Molly Glickman, an Earth Systems major, has received a Firestone Medal for Excellence in Undergraduate Research, which recognizes theses written in the social sciences, natural sciences, and engineering.
With science fiction as inspiration, James Jones encouraged students in the course Imagining Adaptive Societies to imagine a future where people thrive in a sustainable and equitable world.
The awards recognize individuals who go above and beyond their role to create a more inclusive, just, and welcoming community at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability. The awardees were honored at a school-wide celebration of accomplishments in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) over the past year.
Stanford scientist Tiziana Vanorio learned the value of public service from growing up in a family with a calling for ethics and justice. Now, she sees her work developing a low-carbon cement as her way of giving back.
A new school flag for the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability will fly alongside flags from the six other schools at Stanford Commencement. The flag represents both the history and future of the school.
Eight students have been awarded Stanford Impact Founder Fellowships to start high-impact ventures that address a pressing social or environmental need. The number of fellowships and prizes awarded doubled through a collaboration between Stanford GSB’s Center for Social Innovation and Stanford Ecopreneurship Programs.
Scientists gathered to discuss the future of synthetic biology and how it can help curb climate change and promote sustainability.
Studio Gang is an architecture and urban design practice known for its material research and experimentation, collaboration across disciplines, and focus on sustainability. The Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability’s Sustainability Commons will promote collaboration and serve a wide range of uses.
Wong-Parodi has received the Inspiring Early Academic Career Award from the Faculty Women's Forum for creating a culture of inclusion and belonging for students and trainees at all levels.
Advisory council members include leaders from the United States, India, China, and more who lend scientific, industry, nonprofit, entrepreneurship, and government expertise to the challenge of educating students, driving discoveries, and creating solutions at a global scale.
Stanford’s Felicia Marcus discusses grand-scale climate adaptation projects with experts from three major urban areas: Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, and New York City.
The Stanford Ecopreneurship program offers a set of courses and opportunities that support students in addressing the global climate transition, piloting new strategies to foster innovation in pursuit of a more sustainable future.
New reports detail how faculty, students, and scholars came together from across campus to generate sustainability solutions.
The Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability and the Naval Postgraduate School recently convened experts to discuss coastal resilience, water security, and energy security for communities and military installations along the U.S. West Coast.
Barbara Block and David Lobell are among the newest members of an organization created in 1863 to advise the nation on issues related to science and technology.
Emily Snell, a junior majoring in Earth and planetary sciences, will receive financial support to advance her research interests in geochemical volcanology and intersectional modes of eruption prediction. The scholarship is aimed at fostering and promoting exceptional students to pursue research careers in the fields of natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics.
Jill Grey Ferguson's solution for simplifying the process of applying for California’s energy incentive programs has been proposed as Senate Bill 755. If it passes, it could improve access to rebates and other programs that make decarbonization more accessible.
A recent conference from the Stanford Initiative on Business and Environmental Sustainability focused on environmental justice scholarship from academics across America.
A global forum hosted by Stanford’s Natural Capital Project brought representatives from 15 countries and three multilateral development banks (MDBs) to the Stanford campus on April 17 - 19.
Benson joins a distinguished group of members from across non-profit, private, and public sectors who are recognized for their excellence and leadership in work that advances the common good.
Cui has served as director of the Precourt Institute for Energy since 2020 – a role he will continue until a new director is named.
The inaugural Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability Photo Contest offers a glimpse into the perspectives and experiences of its community, from wonder and concern for the natural world to hope and splendor found in everyday encounters.
The Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability will focus on greenhouse gas removal from the atmosphere as the first of what will be several Flagship Destinations.
Throughout the summer and fall quarters, Dean Arun Majumdar listened to student concerns about fossil fuel funding of research, among other topics. These diverse conversations have informed next steps the school is taking to foster community and open dialogue in addition to steps being taken by the university.
The new role involves near-term space planning on campus, master planning of the Hopkins Marine Station, and working to decrease barriers between different departments and programs.
Ali Zaidi, national climate advisor to President Joe Biden, discussed the federal government’s recent efforts to tackle climate change and how effective policies can help people.
"On paper, I’m a finance and operations manager, but I feel like a mechanic: I keep the Center for Ocean Solutions running day in and day out. "
Stace Maples, who heads the Stanford Geospatial Center, curates the libraries' satellite imagery and spatial data to help researchers make sense of the “where” in their research.
In the Earth Systems Program, undergraduate and coterminal master’s students learn about and independently investigate complex environmental problems caused by human activities in conjunction with natural changes in the Earth system.
Environmental justice roundtable highlights energy and policy, health, and Indigenous Peoples issues
The second event in a new dean’s lecture series through the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability featured environmental justice experts in energy, environmental health, and Native environmental policy.
Among a class of researchers that use satellites and infrared imaging to study minerals from on high, Lyon led studies from the Amazon to the moon.
As a young adult, Ayla Pamukçu found herself at a crossroads between college and culinary school. Thanks in part to an influential box of rocks, she chose a research path that eventually led to a career studying the inner workings of the Earth. (Source: Stanford News)
The agreement creates partnerships to explore and address the increasing challenges of global climate change, energy security, and sustainability.
A new dean’s lecture series through the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability launched Dec. 6 with a conversation on environmental justice by David Pellow, a distinguished professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
About 160 students and postdoctoral researchers have participated so far in Dean Arun Majumdar’s ongoing listening tour focused on the role of energy company engagement in research funding.
Speakers highlight the urgent need to scale technologies, democratize data, and apply more diverse skill sets to accelerate understanding and protection of our oceans.
A new course winter quarter kicks off a series designed for undergraduates across the university. It will be taught by Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability Dean Arun Majumdar and Dean of Research Kathryn “Kam” Moler.
Geophysicist and world tectonics leader applies her scientific knowledge for risk reduction.
Combining entrepreneurship with a passion for helping people.
A field area studied in detail by Elizabeth Miller and mapped by countless undergraduates has been accepted as one of the first 100 Geological Heritage Sites by the International Union of Geological Sciences.
A new library resource makes Google Earth Engine’s 70+ petabyte Data Catalog of Earth, climate, and social data immediately available to the school's researchers in a platform specifically designed for enabling research at a global scale.
The newly named Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences has expanded its expertise in recent years to include extraterrestrial surface processes and atmospheric formation.
The new APS Fellows are recognized for their work in fluid dynamics and industrial and applied physics.
Astronaut and Geological Sciences alumna Jessica Watkins discussed her career path, her future mission to the moon, and seeing her former field sites from space.
Monarrez, a postdoctoral scholar in Geological Sciences, has been awarded for his efforts to advance justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion at Stanford and beyond.
The school formally launched with more than 600 guests and speakers urging action on climate change and other sustainability challenges.
Hacking for Climate and Sustainability course facilitates student participation in projects that produce climate solution deliverables for companies, NGOs, or government policy.
For the first time since 2015, the Geological Society of Denmark honours a prominent geologist by awarding the Steno medal to Prof. Dennis K. Bird, Stanford University.
With the help of AI, researchers far and wide will be able to easily access decades of digitized research based in Monterey Bay.
Fendorf, the Terry Huffington Professor in the Department of Earth System Science and a senior fellow at the Woods Institute, has been elected for his exceptional achievements.
Three projects are the first to be awarded Healthy Planet, Healthy People Early-Career Research Awards focused on solutions to complex health challenges.
Starting this fall, Hopkins Marine Station is officially part of the new Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability.
On Sept. 1 the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability officially opens, with the inaugural Dean Arun Majumdar at the helm.
The undergraduate and graduate offerings will be taught by faculty members from across all seven schools at Stanford.
Through the Stanford Energy Postdoctoral Fellowship, 10 postdocs will take on the challenge of creating impactful solutions to the world's largest sustainable energy issues.
Anna-Katharina von Krauland, a TomKat Center Graduate Fellow for Translational Research, has built an atlas detailing prospective sites for wind energy across the United States.
Stanford researchers collected water samples from boreholes and found evidence of a long-term transformation of subsurface microbial communities.
New Senior Associate Deans and Associate Deans will include a focus on environmental justice; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and more.
Livestock farmers are planting more trees on pastureland with the help of Working Trees, a venture co-founded by John Foye, MBA ’22/MS E-IPER.
The Geoscience of Environmental Justice course enables students to work with the East Palo Alto Community Farmers Market to offer on-the-spot testing for heavy metals.
Stanford placed first in the nationwide Campus Race to Zero competition and notably received top honors for disposing the most recyclables for eight consecutive weeks.
Stanford magazine's July issue includes a feature story about the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability and its aims to catalyze solutions to our most urgent environmental needs.
The Sustainability Accelerator drives solutions generated through collaborations and scales them through partners locally and globally to ensure they benefit all people.
Stanford's Precourt Institute for Energy selected an inaugural set of six new research projects to support through its Strategic Energy Research Consortium.
The award recognizes individuals who go above and beyond their role to create a more inclusive, just, and welcoming community at the school.
Matson was recognized for her collaborative learning approaches, propagation of diverse forms of knowledge, and optimistic mentorship.
Dean Graham encouraged the school’s 2022 degree recipients to use the knowledge and approaches they learned at Stanford to help address the immense challenges facing society.
The new Oceans Department will provide unique oceans education and create global impact. The Energy Science and Engineering Department will increase in size and add expertise.
Gerritsen was one of 15 faculty members honored at the 2022 Faculty Women's Forum for her exceptional work and role in supporting women at Stanford.
On May 25, Stanford's Arun Majumdar moderated a discussion with John Doerr and Ryan Panchadsaram, co-authors of Speed & Scale: An Action Plan for Solving Our Climate Crisis Now.
The award encourages student engagement in the American Institute of Professional Geologists, the largest organization committed to promoting geology as a profession.
The annual Stanford Global Studies photo competition recognized 11 winning photographs – including several taken by Earth systems alumni.
