Photo contest finalists tell stories of the planet’s natural wonders and the people who study them

The Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability’s annual competition recognizes images capturing natural beauty, researchers in action, and important topics in sustainability research.

Images from the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability’s 2026 photo contest may look otherworldly, but they capture the fantastic variety of life on Earth and the extraordinary effort humans put into exploring and understanding it.

The winner in the beauty in nature category appears to be a neon extraterrestrial disco, but it is actually the open shell of a giant clam photographed by Stanford alum Joel Simon, MS ’77, in Palau.

A researcher isn’t crossing a vast, rippled moonscape, but instead deploying ice-imaging tools on a glacier in Svalbard in the photo captured by Annie Cheng, a PhD student in physics who won first place in the research in action category.

A rainbow arcing across a misty sky looks like an image from a storybook, but undergraduate student Anu Tsogtbaatar’s top photo in the sustainability in focus category tells a real-world story about families using renewable energy in Mongolia.

First, second, and third prizes were awarded in each category of the contest. The winning photographs were selected from 243 submissions spanning the globe from Stanford undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, faculty, staff, and alumni.

“It has been incredible to witness both the beauty of the world and the impactful research happening across our school through this year’s photo submissions,” said judge Frida Garcia Ledezma, a PhD student in Earth system science who received a second-place honor in the 2025 contest. “Seeing everyone’s inspiring work and the remarkable places they’ve explored has been a truly meaningful experience and a reminder of the curiosity and dedication that drive our research.”

Garcia Ledezma was joined on the judging team by Ali Namayandeh, a postdoctoral scholar in Earth system science; Belle Long, communications associate at the Woods Institute for the Environment; alum Erin Cole, BS ’22, MA ’23; and Erika Tande Hill, senior in Earth and planetary sciences and a first-place winner in the 2025 contest.

The judges evaluated the submissions and chose winners based on originality, relevance to the category, artistic merit, and overall impact. AI-generated images and submissions that used generative AI tools in processing did not qualify for the contest.

The top winners in each category receive a California State Parks “Golden Poppy” annual pass. All finalists receive an award certificate, and their photos will be highlighted on Doerr School of Sustainability social media channels, at the Spring Arts Fair on April 24, and at other events and displays on campus throughout the year.

Beauty in nature

Photos in this category capture awe-inspiring scenes of life on Earth.

First place

Joel Simon
Alum, MS ’77

Inside of a giant clam with vibrant aqua and green hues highlighted by yellow lines in wavy patterns — A giant clam seen while snorkeling in Palau. The collaborative relationship between these clams and the algae that live in their tissues adds color, texture, and graphic intrigue along with biological advantage.

Second place

Emily Cheng
Undergraduate student

Two puffins next to each other at the bottom of the frame. Waves and black sand meet to form a coastline behind them — Two Atlantic puffins perch on a grassy cliff at the Dyrhólaey Peninsula, overlooking the ocean and the iconic black sand beaches of Iceland’s South Coast.

Third place

Nikolai Gates Vetr
Postdoctoral scholar, Pathology

A raven gazes to the right, standing on a mossy branch that stretches diagonally across the frame. Forest in background — In the foggy forests of El Corte de Madera Creek Preserve, a curious raven pauses to inspect the photographer just before hopping down for a closer look.