The student experience

Three students work in a lab with a professor overseeing

A thriving campus and global community

Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability students have opportunities to conduct high-impact research, work with local communities, engage in field learning around the world, and join a campus community with a culture of collaboration, inclusion, respect, and excellence. 

Meet our community

Get to know some of the students, faculty, staff, and alumni who you might encounter as a student at Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability.

Sustainability and social impact

Adam Nayak

Meet Adam Nayak, BS ’22, a graduate student in management science and engineering.

Read more about Adam

Molecular fossil hunter

Associate Professor Paula Welander

Meet Paula Welander, an associate professor of Earth system science.

Read more about Paula

Read more people spotlights

Student sustainability groups

Stanford offers multiple opportunities for students to engage in sustainability. The Office of Sustainability has created a Students’ Guide to Sustainable Living at Stanford that provides practical tips on reducing environmental impact while on campus. You can also find clubs and activities focused on sustainability.

Find sustainability clubs

Research, Internships & Professional Development

We offer programs to support success in both your personal and professional life.

Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment

Fiorenza Micheli at Hopkins Marine Station

Education and leadership programs focus on skills, knowledge, and networks to move ideas into action and support informed decision-making.

Learn more about Stanford Woods Institute

Precourt Institute for Energy

Yi Cui, director of Precourt Institute, holds up an experimental battery

Student offerings include energy courses, experiential learning opportunities, and events, in addition to mentoring and advising. 

Learn more about Precourt Institute

Ecopreneurship

Students at orientation

Building on Stanford’s strengths in both sustainability and entrepreneurship, Stanford Ecopreneurship programs take aspiring sustainability entrepreneurs (or “ecopreneurs”) from idea to launch.

Learn more

Professional development

A student presents her poster to a group of fellow students

No matter what discipline you are in or career goals you have, we want to prepare our undergraduate and graduate students for the future.

Learn more

Explore our campus

Located 35 miles south of San Francisco and 20 miles north of San Jose on the ancestral land of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, Stanford University’s 8,180-acre campus sits at the heart of Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Peninsula.

Beyond campus

Our scholars and students conduct research or engage in field learning on all seven continents and oceans. Opportunities for hands-on learning and research experience outside the classroom range from two-day field courses to a quarter-long field course in social and biophysical systems in Hawaii.

A man smiles as he leans over a railing overlooking a sandy beach filled with penguins

Sustainability Commons

The people and programs in the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability will be brought together in a new Sustainability Commons, located on the west side of campus. The Commons will be anchored by two new flagship buildings that will follow Stanford’s history of creating sustainable, LEED Platinum-certified buildings. The Commons will also include the existing Green Earth Sciences Research Building and the Jerry Yang and Akiko Yamazaki Environment and Energy Building (Y2E2). A promenade will connect the academic buildings, rooftop garden, and multiple outdoor gathering spaces.

Sustainable living at Stanford

Sustainability is a core value and way of life at Stanford and the university’s Residential & Dining Enterprises. 

Learn about Stanford’s commitment to being a living lab for sustainability solutions

Explore Energy HouseRoble Living Laboratory for Sustainability at Stanford