Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability

Earth system science PhD student Alexis Wilson and civil and environmental engineering PhD student Jenny Skerker have received the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability’s 2024 Excellence in DEI Awards.

“The DEI Excellence Award recognizes those at the school who go above and beyond to bring about important change,” said Lupe Carrillo, director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the school.

Celebrating excellence in diversity, equity, and inclusion A school-wide celebration marked the completion of the school’s three-year DEI action plan and recognized the 2024 Excellence in DEI Award winners, individuals who go above and beyond to create a more inclusive, just, and welcoming community at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability.

Tanvi Dutta Gupta, BS Biology ’23, MS Earth Systems ’24, envisions a more sustainable world by connecting environmental justice, storytelling, and the arts. https://stanford.io/45s5nhY

Today's Commencement spotlight features Alain Pérez, BA Philosophy ’23, MS Sustainability Science and Practice ’24.

Pérez’s desire to help make government and industry more sustainable led him to the Change Leadership for Sustainability (SUST) program in the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, where he earned a master’s degree in sustainability science and practice.

“I loved the analytical approach of philosophy, but I wanted to learn more about systems impact design and how we can bring better sustainability solutions to governments and the private sector,” Pérez recalled.

https://stanford.io/3VDnH49

In two courses during winter and spring quarters, students developed policy reports with the goal of informing government decisions about how to incorporate fisheries and aquaculture into Indonesia’s national development strategy.

Action lab informs policies on blue food In two courses during winter and spring quarters, student groups developed reports on incorporating fisheries and aquaculture into Indonesia’s national development strategy.

When asked what inspired her to study volcanic eruptions in Ayla Pamukcu's lab, graduating senior Emily Snell references her love for the outdoors. "I just enjoy studying Earth and chemistry — and specifically chemistry at high temperature and pressure. The real connection is growing up outdoors. I love being outside."

As for what’s next, Snell has planned a gap year before applying to graduate school to study igneous petrology, where she hopes to earn her doctorate.

For more about Emily in her spotlight: https://stanford.io/3VzFVUp

Congratulations to Paula Welander, who has been named associate vice provost for graduate education and postdoctoral affairs, beginning in the 2024-25 academic year.

Currently serving at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability as associate dean for integrative initiatives in DEI, the professor of Earth system science will focus on supporting graduate students and postdoctoral scholars as they prepare for careers in academia.

Paula Welander named associate vice provost for graduate education and postdoctoral affairs The professor of Earth system science will focus on supporting graduate students and postdoctoral scholars as they prepare for careers in academia.

With record-high sea-surface temperatures in 2024, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has predicted that another coral bleaching event will occur this summer.

We gathered oceanographers to address these predictions (and more) in our new series.

Ask a scientist: Hot oceans The world’s oceans are heating up, and along with them, efforts to understand what a record rise in temperature means for the future of marine life and coastal communities.

In the latest newsletter:

🤕 Health impacts from gas stoves
🔥 How wildfires change soil chemistry
🌡️ Rising ocean temperatures
…and more!

Read and subscribe: https://bit.ly/OOPMay24

Made of wood from a California wildfire, Uni-no-Ki, or Tree Urchin, is an outdoor structure installed in front of the Anderson Collection by students in a design-build seminar called CEE32H: Responsive Structures.

The joint statement from students call the structure “an ode to the symbiotic relationship between human creativity and the environment.”

Tree Urchin is open to the public through May 31.

‘Tree Urchin’ is inspired by nature and grounded in design The culminating project for the design-build seminar “Responsive Structures” is a 23-foot-high contemplation space made from salvaged wood, on display in front of the Anderson Collection through May 31.

A new Stanford-led study reveals that dams and reservoirs will not meet future global demand for irrigation and hydropower, underscoring the critical need to explore demand- and supply-side alternatives.

‘Grey infrastructure’ won’t meet future water storage needs A new study maps how energy and food systems depend on stored water to generate hydropower and feed irrigation. Dams and reservoirs won’t be able to meet the demand in coming decades.

Stanford bioengineer Manu Prakash leads a research team developing innovative, low-cost tools, such as a rotating microscope, that empower citizen scientists to contribute to our understanding of ocean health and biodiversity.

The secret lives of plankton Tiny plankton play a huge role in regulating natural systems, but they remain poorly understood. Stanford bioengineer Manu Prakash leads an international effort to develop innovative, low-cost tools that could help enable citizen scientists to monitor oceans and contribute to climate change solution...

Nearly 20% of the Amazon rainforest has been cleared over the past 50 years for cattle ranching, mining, and other land-intensive businesses.

A new model of collaboration among researchers, technology developers, and local communities could help protect the forest, says the founders of Peru-based conservation group Amanatari during a recent Dean's Lecture.

Conserving rainforest by supporting local communities Founders of the nonprofit organization Amanatari discussed their efforts to facilitate new businesses in the Amazon basin that generate income for local communities without destroying rainforest.

Each year, the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability photo contest showcases the community's talent as scholars working to make the world more sustainable and as visual artists and storytellers highlighting nature’s struggles to survive.

Revisit the 2024 winners here: https://stanford.io/3QeqGNt

As part of Earth and Planetary Sciences department, second year PhD student Kemi Ashing-Giwa studies mass extinctions, investigating the ocean conditions that wiped out the majority of marine life 252 million years ago.

Between experiments, she writes sci-fi books, including a bestselling space opera.

More about Kemi (via Stanford Alumni):

Meet Kemi Ashing-Giwa Her planetary adventures are both fact and fiction.

The 68th Secretary of State and first Presidential envoy on climate John Kerry recently joined venture capitalist John Doerr for a conversation at Stanford University, where they discussed everything from the power of protest to the importance of the private sector in slashing global emissions.

The event was part of Big Ideas in Sustainability, a series of conversations hosted by the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability that invites thought leaders on climate and sustainability for conversations that engage the entire Stanford community.

John Kerry shares his ‘unfettered’ optimism on climate The 68th Secretary of State and first presidential envoy on climate discussed protests, nuclear energy, and why he left government in a wide-ranging conversation moderated by venture capitalist John Doerr.

Wildfires can cause changes in soil chemistry that affect water contamination, air quality, and plant growth.

But these changes are poorly monitored and rarely factor into post-fire recovery efforts, according to a Stanford study published in Nature Reviews Earth & Environment.

How wildfires change soil chemistry Severe wildfires can drive chemical changes in soil that affect ecosystem recovery and risks to human health. A new study finds broader surveillance and modeling of these changes could inform strategies for protecting lives, property, and natural resources, and managing wildlife.

Conventional sunscreen ingredients can damage coral reefs and human health. In an unlikely collaboration, an immunologist and a marine ecologist are teaming up to develop a novel form of effective and environmentally friendly sunscreen.

Safer Sunscreen: Stanford researchers explore novel approach to sustainable sun protection Conventional sunscreen ingredients can damage coral reefs and human health. An immunologist and a marine ecologist teamed up to develop a better approach.

Charlotte Pera will become executive director of the Sustainability Accelerator at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability.

With decades of experience in non-profits and large philanthropies focused on climate solutions, Pera will join faculty director Yi Cui to co-lead the school’s launchpad for scalable solutions to sustainability challenges.

Sustainability Accelerator announces first executive director Charlotte Pera, a veteran of major climate-focused organizations, returns to Stanford in July to co-lead the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability’s Accelerator.

Congratulations to the 2024 cohort of Knight-Hennessy Scholars, including Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability students Danny Collins, Daviana Berkowitz-Sklar, David Akanmu, Katherine Tang, and Vittorio Colicci ⭐

2024 Cohort The scholars in the 2024 cohort come from 30 countries, including the first scholars with citizenship from Austria, Bahrain, Belarus, Bolivia. Bulgaria, France, Sri Lanka. They have earned degrees from 60 institutions, including 12 outside of the United States. At Stanford, they will pursue graduate...

Organized by PhD student Anela Arifi, the new Sustainability Student Advisory Council is a group of students from across campus who meet quarterly to discuss Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability initiatives and provide feedback to school leaders.

Sustainability Student Advisory Council gives students voice in sustainability matters Nearly two dozen students from across campus meet quarterly to discuss topics and questions raised by Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability faculty and staff and then share their recommendations with the Dean’s Office.

Research from Stanford scientists published in Science Advances shows a frightening reality: cooking with gas or propane exposes families to unsafe and unhealthy levels of NO2 pollution in their own homes.

People with gas and propane stoves breathe more unhealthy nitrogen dioxide | Stanford News A new study of air pollution in U.S. homes reveals how much gas and propane stoves increase people’s exposure to nitrogen dioxide, a pollutant linked to childhood asthma. Even in bedrooms far from kitchens, concentrations frequently exceed health limits while stoves are on and for hours after burn...

Join us virtually for our Big Ideas in Sustainability Fireside Chat with John Doerr and John Kerry. Stream will go live on May 8th at 5 PM PT: https://stanford.io/4a5FRjh

Bay Area artist Mark Baugh-Sasaki will be collaborating with Stanford ocean scientists over the coming months as the inaugural Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability Visiting Artist.

During his residency, he will work with Stanford researchers who are examining a 4-meter-long core of Southern Ocean sediment formed over more than 1,000 years.

Ocean science meets art in new visiting artist program Sculptor and installation artist Mark Baugh-Sasaki will work with ocean scholars as the first visiting artist in a new Stanford program exploring how art and science can join forces to advance sustainability.

In the latest newsletter:

🌀 Hurricane risk perception
🪸 Planning for health coral reefs and communities
🔋 Speed and scale in the clean energy transition
…and more!

Read and subscribe: https://bit.ly/OOPApr24

Stanford scholars are exploring the connection between plastic and disease, rethinking how plastic could be reused, and uncovering new ways to break down waste.

Planet versus Plastics Here’s how Stanford scholars are tackling the plastics problem - from exploring the connection between plastic and disease, to rethinking plastic reuse, to uncovering brand new ways to break down plastic waste.

A new experiential course, Startup Law: Sustainability, educates Stanford Law School students about what it means to be a lawyer for a sustainability-focused startup.

Training green advocates - Stanford Report A unique hands-on class teaches Stanford Law School students how to counsel early-stage companies that are tackling pressing environmental issues.

Meet Emily, Acacia, and Mitchell, Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability students involved in expanding sustainability efforts on campus.

For , we are celebrating students and their efforts to advance the university's climate goals through individual passion projects:

Meet three students advancing sustainability efforts across campus In classrooms and research labs across Stanford, a record number of students are learning how to address some of the most pressing environmental challenges of today. But outside of their academic pursuits, students are also engaging with climate solutions directly on campus. These efforts – whethe...

One-hundred-forty Stanford students, postdoctoral scholars, faculty, staff, and alumni submitted 409 photographs to the 2024 Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability photo contest – the most submissions in the contest's history.

In celebration of , visit our announcement for the full list of winners: https://stanford.io/3QeqGNt

Stanford Forum on the Science of Energy Transition brought together scientific experts, technology innovators, and industry leaders on April 10 to explore practical pathways to a decarbonized future.

Practical paths to a decarbonized future - Stanford Report A forum on the science of energy transition poses the question, how do we shift to clean energy with enough speed and scale to prevent the most extreme impacts of climate change?

Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability has awarded more than $1.8 million in funding through Discovery Grants to support earliest-stage research critical to understanding Earth and planetary processes.

Discovery Grants support fundamental research in sustainability Sixteen grants provided by the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability will support work on unproven but potentially transformational ideas to deepen understanding of Earth, climate, and society.