Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability
Showing 1-81 of 81 Results
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Justine Dachille
Understand Energy Program Manager, Precourt Institute for Energy
Current Role at StanfordUnderstand Energy, Program Manager
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Gretchen C. Daily
Bing Professor of Environmental Science and Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment and, by courtesy, at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsLand use, biodiversity dynamics, ecosystem services
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David Danielson
Adjunct Professor
BioDavid T. Danielson became a Precourt energy scholar at Stanford in 2016. With Stuart Macmillan and Joel Moxley, Dave co-teaches the yearlong course "Energy Transformation Collaborative." This project-based course provides a launchpad for the creation and development of transformational energy ventures. Interdisciplinary student teams research, analyze and refine detailed plans for high-impact opportunities in the context of the new energy venture development framework offered in this course.
Since January 2017, Dave has been managing director of Breakthrough Energy Ventures, a $1 billion fund focused on fighting climate change by investing in clean energy innovation.
From 2012 to 2016, Dave was assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy. There, he directed the U.S. government’s innovation strategy in the areas of sustainable transportation, renewable power, energy efficiency and clean-energy manufacturing, investing about $2 billion annually into American clean-energy innovation. He is considered a global expert in the development of next generation clean-energy technologies and the creation of new R&D and organizational models for high-impact clean energy innovation.
Prior to being appointed by President Obama as assistant secretary, Dave was the first hire at DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency– Energy (ARPA-E), a funding agency that focuses on the development of high-risk, high-reward clean-energy technologies. Prior to his government service, he was a clean-energy venture capitalist and, as a PhD student at MIT, was the founder and president of the MIT Energy Club. -
Barnabas Daru
Assistant Professor of Biology and Center Fellow, by courtesy, at the Woods Institute for the Environment
BioBarnabas Daru is an Assistant Professor of Biology. He is interested in the ecology and biogeography of plants across ecological scales. He studied botany in Johannesburg, and was a postdoctoral researcher at Harvard, where he worked on new uses of herbarium specimens for understanding plant ecology and evolution in the Anthropocene, the epoch of profound human impact on Earth. Current research in the Daru lab addresses the role of phylogeny in: 1) understanding how species are distributed, 2) conserving unique communities, and 3) understanding changing distributions in the Anthropocene.
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Reinhold Dauskardt
Ruth G. and William K. Bowes Professor in the School of Engineering
BioDauskardt and his group have worked extensively on integrating new materials into emerging technologies including thin-film structures for nanoscience and energy technologies, high-performance composite and laminates for aerospace, and on biomaterials and soft tissues in bioengineering. His group has pioneered methods for characterizing adhesion and cohesion of thin films used extensively in device technologies. His research on wound healing has concentrated on establishing a biomechanics framework to quantify the mechanical stresses and biologic responses in healing wounds and define how the mechanical environment affects scar formation. Experimental studies are complimented with a range of multiscale computational capabilities. His research includes interaction with researchers nationally and internationally in academia, industry, and clinical practice.
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Jenna Davis
Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, of Environmental Social Sciences and Higgins-Magid Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsProfessor Davis’ research and teaching deals broadly with the role that water plays in promoting public health and economic development, with particular emphasis on low- and middle-income countries. Her group conducts applied research that utilizes theory and analytical methods from public and environmental health, engineering, microeconomics, and planning. They have conducted field research in more than 20 countries, most recently including Zambia, Bangladesh, and Kenya.
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Kristen Davis
Associate Professor of Oceans and, by courtesy, of Civil and Environmental Engineering
BioI am an engineer and oceanographer who is interested in studying how physical processes shape coastal waters – combining principles of fluid mechanics, oceanography, and ecology. I use both field observations and numerical tools to examine circulation in the ocean, its natural variability, and influence on marine ecosystems and human-nature interactions. I joined Stanford department of Oceans in 2024. Before that, I was an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Irvine.
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Steven J. Davis
Professor of Earth System Science, Senior Fellow at the Precourt Institute for Energy and Professor, by courtesy, of Energy Science and Engineering
BioSteve Davis is a highly-cited researcher and expert in earth system science, emissions and energy scenarios, climate impacts and solutions, and corporate climate strategy. He is a Professor of Earth System Science in the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability and leads the Sustainable Solutions Lab, a research group dedicated to quantifying how different human activities are affecting climate and air quality, how those environmental changes in turn jeopardize human wellbeing, and the relative priority of solutions.
Steve was a Contributing Author of two Working Group III chapters in the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), serves on the Scientific Steering Committee of the Global Carbon Project, was the Lead Author of the Mitigation chapter in the U.S. Fifth National Climate Assessment, and is a member of the Technical Council of the Science Based Targets Initiative.
Prior to his science career, Steve worked as a lawyer to venture-backed companies in Silicon Valley, and holds degrees from Stanford University, the University of Virginia School of Law and the University of Florida, where he double-majored in Political Science and Philosophy. -
Giulio De Leo
Professor of Oceans, of Earth System Science and Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsI am a theoretical ecologist mostly interested in investigating factors and processes driving the dynamics of natural and harvested populations and on how to use this knowledge to inform practical management. I have worked broadly on life histories analysis, fishery management, dynamics and control of infectious diseases and environmental impact assessment.
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Prof. Ramit Debnath
Affiliate, Earth System Science
BioDr Ramit Debnath is a University Assistant Professor and Deputy Director of the Centre for Human-Inspired AI (CHIA) at the University of Cambridge, UK and a visiting faculty at Caltech.
Ramit is an elected member of the Methods Advisory Group (MAG) of the UK Government. He leads the Collective Intelligence and Design Group and climaTRACES Lab at Cambridge, and the Climate and Social Intelligence Lab at Caltech. His research advances computational social science methodologies for climate and environmental sustainability at urban and global levels. Ramit is particularly interested in understanding social tipping mechanisms and its interactions with global climate action. At Stanford, he is co-leading the Stanford-Cambridge Inclusive Ordering Initiative at the Doerr School of Sustainability.
Dr Debnath has a background in electrical engineering and computational social sciences, with a MPhil and a PhD from the University of Cambridge as a Gates Scholar.
Research group website: https://www.collectivedesign.group.cam.ac.uk/ -
Jeffrey Decker
Program Director, Precourt Institute for Energy
BioJeff Decker is managing director of the Technology Transition for Defense Program and co-instructor of Hacking for Defense course at Stanford University. Hacking for Defense uses the Lean Startup technique to tackle complex problems critical to the government around national security, energy networks, cyber security, and AI, and develop new technologies with teams of engineers, scientists, MBA’s and policy experts. With the program, Jeff has taught more than 300 students, faculty, and government personnel user-centered design from over 2 dozen colleges and universities, helping them solve more than 75 unique national security challenges for the Defense Department and related industries. Several student teams have gone on to form companies winning Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, gaining venture capital funding, and one team even became a program of record. Jeff’s work and research focuses generally on defense innovation and dual-use technologies, with a focus on developing go-to-defense market strategies for technology startups and fostering defense-industry partnerships. With his Lean Startup experience and expertise with Hacking for Defense, plus his military service, Jeff is a sought-after expert when it comes to national security and solving Defense Department challenges.
Jeff served in the U.S. Army as a 2nd Ranger Battalion light infantry squad leader in Iraq and Afghanistan. Following his service, he earned a MS in International Relations (Laws), and a doctorate in International Relations before conducting national security and international affairs research at the RAND Corporation. -
Iván Deiana
Ph.D. Student in Geophysics, admitted Autumn 2023
BioPh.D. student in Geophysics at Stanford Earth Imaging Project (SEP). Research interests include Geophysical Inverse Problems, Quantitative Interpretation, and Earth Imaging, integrated with HPC and ML.
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Anne Dekas
Associate Professor of Earth System Science and, by courtesy, of Oceans
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsEnvironmental microbiology, deep-sea microbial ecology, marine biogeochemistry
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Mark Denny
John B. and Jean De Nault Professor of Marine Science at the Hopkins Marine Station, Emeritus
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsBiomechanics, ecology, and ecological physiology
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Thomas Devereaux
Professor of Photon Science, of Materials Science and Engineering and Senior Fellow at the Precourt Institute for Energy
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy main research interests lie in the areas of theoretical condensed matter physics and computational physics. My research effort focuses on using the tools of computational physics to understand quantum materials. Fortunately, we are poised in an excellent position as the speed and cost of computers have allowed us to tackle heretofore unaddressed problems involving interacting systems. The goal of my research is to understand electron dynamics via a combination of analytical theory and numerical simulations to provide insight into materials of relevance to energy science. My group carries out numerical simulations on SIMES’ high-performance supercomputer and US and Canadian computational facilities. The specific focus of my group is the development of numerical methods and theories of photon-based spectroscopies of strongly correlated materials.
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Carlos Diaz Marin
Assistant Professor of Energy Science and Engineering
BioCarlos Diaz-Marin is an Assistant Professor in the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability. He leads the Diaz Energy Lab on Theory and Advanced materials (DELTA) Group, which studies and leverages soft matter for applications in energy, water, and sustainability. The group integrates fundamental studies of material-molecule/ion interactions, synthesis, characterization, modeling, and device demonstration, while guided by technoeconomic analyses, for applications such as water production from air, carbon capture, building energy efficiency, biomass utilization, critical mineral recovery, and electrochemistry.
Before coming to Stanford, Carlos was an ARPA-E ORISE Fellow at the Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E) within the US Department of Energy, helping develop research funding programs in high-risk, high-reward energy and sustainability technologies. Carlos obtained his MS and PhD in Mechanical Engineering at MIT and double undergraduate degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Physics from the University of Costa Rica. -
Noah Diffenbaugh
William Wrigley Professor and Kimmelman Family Senior Fellow
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsDr. Noah S. Diffenbaugh is an Editor of the peer-review journal Geophysical Research Letters, and a Lead Author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). He is a recipient of the James R. Holton Award from the American Geophysical Union, a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation, and a Terman Fellowship from Stanford University. He has also been recognized as a Kavli Fellow by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, and as a Google Science Communication Fellow.
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Daniela Dimitrova
Administrative Associate & Program Administrator, Earth & Planetary Sciences
Current Role at StanfordAdministrative Associate & Program Administrator, Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences
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Jihui Ding
Physical Science Research Scientist
BioJihui is interested in advancing sustainability by developing geoscience-based solutions. This includes geothermal energy, carbon capture and sequestration (CCS), geological storage of renewable energy, and critical mineral exploration. Previously, Jihui utilized various experimental techniques to quantify rock behavior under different geological conditions and used modeling approaches to understand experimental observations. Currently, he is working on integrating artificial intelligence and data science into geological uncertainty quantification for an economical and safe development of geothermal energy.
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Victoria Dinov
Masters Student in Energy Science and Engineering, admitted Autumn 2025
BioHi, my name is Vicky and I am a graduate student at Stanford studying energy science and engineering. At Stanford, I worked in the INES research group, focused primarily on creating a capacity expansion model with improved spatial, temporal, and geographical resolution.
I am passionate about capacity expansion and transmission planning, power markets, utility rate structure, load forecasting, microgrids and more. I am also curious to explore the ways in which we will harness DERs and technological tools at our fingertips to create more resilient communities and energy systems. This can have broad implications for developing regions and more generally energy scarce areas.
Outside of school, you will find me running, climbing, backpacking, skiing, etc. I like everything outdoors, have an affinity for art/music, and love to salsa too. Please message me with questions or just to connect! -
Jennifer Dionne
Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Senior Fellow at the Precourt Institute for Energy and Professor, by courtesy, of Radiology (Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford)
BioJennifer (Jen) Dionne is a Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and, by courtesy, of Radiology at Stanford. She is also a Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Investigator, deputy director of Q-NEXT (a DOE National Quantum Initiative), and co-founder of Pumpkinseed, a company developing quantum sensors to understand and optimize the immune system. From 2020-2023, Jen served as Stanford’s Inaugural Vice Provost of Shared Facilities, raising capital to modernize instrumentation, fund experiential education, foster staff development, and support new and existing users of the shared facilities. Jen received her B.S. degrees in Physics and Systems Science and Mathematics from Washington University in St. Louis, her Ph. D. in Applied Physics at the California Institute of Technology in 2009, and her postdoctoral training in Chemistry at Berkeley. As a pioneer of nanophotonics, she is passionate about developing methods to observe and control chemical and biological processes as they unfold with nanometer scale resolution, emphasizing critical challenges in global health and sustainability. Her research has developed culture-free methods to detect pathogens and their antibiotic susceptibility; amplification-free methods to detect and sequence nucleic acids and proteins; and new methods to image light-driven chemical reactions with atomic-scale resolution. Jen’s work has been featured in NPR, the Economist, Science, and Nature, and recognized with the NSF Alan T. Waterman Award, a NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, a Moore Inventor Fellowship, and the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. She was also featured on Oprah’s list of “50 Things that will make you say ‘Wow’!”. She also perceives outreach as a critical component of her role and frequently collaborates with visual and performing artists to convey the beauty of science to the broader public.
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Rodolfo Dirzo
Associate Dean for Integrative Initiatives in Environmental Justice, Bing Prof in Environmental Science, Professor of Earth System Science and Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsEcological and evolutionary aspects of plant-animal interactions, largely but not exclusively, in tropical forest ecosystems.
Conservation biology in tropical ecosystems.
Studies on biodiversity.
Education, at all levels, on scientific practice, ecology and biodiversity conservation. -
Sibyl Diver
Lecturer
BioDr. Sibyl Diver is an interdisciplinary environmental scientist, a lecturer at Stanford University in the Earth Systems Program, and co-director for the Stanford Environmental Justice Working Group. She does community-engaged research on Indigenous water governance from an allied perspective, focusing on Pacific Northwest salmon watersheds. This includes research on co-management (or collaborative management) arrangements between Indigenous communities and state agencies. She received her PhD from Berkeley's Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, where she helped build the Karuk-UC Berkeley Collaborative, a group supporting the Karuk Tribe's eco-cultural revitalization strategy in Northern California. Current work includes conducting a social impact assessment of Klamath dam removal with the Karuk Tribe.
For over two decades, Sibyl has worked in partnership with community leaders on issues of Indigenous peoples and salmon around the North Pacific – in the Russian Far East, Alaska, Canada and the US. Previous to graduate school, she spent eight years doing international conservation work and facilitating international exchanges with community leaders as a Russian translator -- an experience that introduced her to the deep connections between salmon conservation and Indigenous peoples. She completed her undergraduate work at Stanford, earning a dual degree in Human Biology and Slavic Studies.
For additional research information please see www.sibyldiver.com. -
Devin Dollery
Ph.D. Student in Oceans, admitted Autumn 2023
Masters Student in Oceans, admitted Autumn 2024BioI am interested in computational simulations of the natural world - focusing on developing models of ocean physics to predict the ocean's role in climate variability. At Stanford, my PhD research commencing in Autumn 2023 with Prof Fringer seeks to model and understand the interaction of surface and internal waves. This relationship will be correlated to satellite imagery of ocean surface roughness to infer stratification for assimilation into ocean models.
My professional background started in civil engineering and coastal processes modeling. I received an MSc in computational mechanics at the University of Cape Town (2018) - formulating and implementing a multiscale FEM model for cardiac tissue. Most recently, I was a scientific software developer adding parallelized tools and functionality to the ocean modeling software, UCLA ROMS, at the University of California, Los Angeles. -
Gwendolyn Zoob Donahue
Research Assistant, Oceans
Current Role at StanfordResearch Assistant in the Palumbi Lab at Hopkins Marine Station
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Xinyu Dou
Postdoctoral Scholar, Earth System Science
BioStanford Energy Fellow
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James Douglass
Software Architect, Woods Research Natural Capital Project
BioJames Douglass (he/him) is the Software Architect for the Natural Capital Project. His current work focuses on expanding access to InVEST through better tooling in heterogeneous compute and development environments, supporting research efforts and identifying and prototyping impactful improvements to NatCap's Science and Technology offerings. In previous roles with NatCap, James has led the technical strategy of InVEST, led the development of OPAL, and previously served as lead of the Software Team. James received his B.S in Computer Science from St. Lawrence University.
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Erinn Drage
Ph.D. Student in Environmental Social Sciences, admitted Autumn 2025
BioErinn Drage is an environmental filmmaker, conservation social scientist, and outdoor adventure guide from Canmore, Alberta. In addition to her primary work in international conservation policy, she has guided expeditions in the Arctic and Antarctica and written, edited, and directed award-winning documentary films. Her past scientific research has included studying nature-based tourism economies in Alaska and social well-being, human rights, and conservation in Kanungu, Uganda. At Stanford, Erinn is exploring the political and economic dimensions of biodiversity conservation, with a focus on community-led stewardship and the role of human institutions in shaping conservation outcomes. When not pursuing her intellectual passions around conservation, she can usually be found trail running, mountain biking, or backcountry skiing in the nearest mountain ranges.
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Rob Dunbar
W.M. Keck Professor in the School of Earth Sciences, Professor of Oceans, Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment and Professor, by courtesy, of Earth System Science
On Leave from 10/01/2025 To 09/30/2026Current Research and Scholarly InterestsOcean processes, biogeochemistry, climatology/paleoclimatology, isotopic chemistry, ocean policy
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Eric Dunham
Professor of Geophysics
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsPhysics of natural hazards, specifically earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes. Computational geophysics.
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Omar Duran
Physical Science Research Scientist
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsResearch at the intersection of computational math and subsurface poromechanics develops robust, structure-preserving, scalable methods for multiphysics in porous/fractured media. Focus: advanced discretizations (HHO, multiscale mixed FE), THM modeling with Cosserat effects, and compositional multiphase flow with phase changes. Work includes solver/preconditioner design, mixed-dimensional fracture modeling, and HPC software (GEOS) for near-exascale performance.
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William Durham
Bing Professor in Human Biology, Emeritus
BioWilliam (Bill) Durham is Bing Professor in Human Biology (Emeritus), Bass University Fellow in Undergraduate Education, and a Senior Fellow (Emeritus) in the Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford. He has been jointly appointed in Human Biology and Anthropology at Stanford since 1977, when he came from the Society of Fellows at the University of Michigan. Bill was an undergraduate Biology major at Stanford, Class of 1971, and received the Lloyd W. Dinkelspiel Award at graduation for his contribution to undergraduate education via the NSF-funded Student Air Pollution Research Project, the first student initiative nationally to receive NSF funding.
Bill’s career has focused on two main themes: (1) putting principles of evolution to work in efforts to sustain the biological and cultural diversity of our world; and (2) identifying social dimensions of environmental problems in Latin America and working with local leaders to help solve them. He has carried out fieldwork in Peru, Brazil, and Ecuador (especially Galápagos) in South America, and in El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Costa Rica in Central America. In 1983, he was one of the first scholars to receive the MacArthur Prize Fellowship and has also received five five awards for research and teaching at Stanford, including one by vote of the students. Bill’s recent book, Exuberant Life: An Evolutionary Approach to Conservation in Galápagos (Oxford University Press, 2021) was named a Finalist for the 2022 PROSE Award from the Association of American Publishers.
Bill’s other publications include the books Scarcity and Survival in Central America (Stanford Press 1979; and in Spanish, by UCA Editores 1988), Coevolution: Genes, Culture, and Human Diversity (Stanford Press, 1991), The Social Causes of Environmental Destruction in Latin America (U. of Michigan Press, 1995, with M. Painter), Inbreeding, Incest and the Incest Taboo (Stanford Press 2004, with A. Wolf), and Ecotourism and Conservation in the Americas (CABI, 2008, with A. Stronza). In addition, he served as Editor in Chief for 16 volumes of the Annual Review of Anthropology between 1992 and 2008.
Bill was Founding Co-Director of the Center for Responsible Travel (CREST), a research organization that views tourism as a means to promote local livelihoods and environmental conservation. He was invited to design the Max Planck Institute for Environmental Anthropology and his proposal was accepted and implemented in Leipzig, Germany starting in 1997. Along with Stanford Professors Rodolfo Dirzo and Larry Crowder, Bill has been Co-director of the Osa-Golfito Initiative (INOGO) in the Woods Institute, working with Costa Ricans to develop a sustainability strategy for the southern region of the country.
He has led more than 50 Stanford Alumni Association trips to Galápagos, Costa Rica, the Amazon, East Africa, and elsewhere. -
Louis Durlofsky
Otto N. Miller Professor in the School of Earth Sciences
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsGeneral reservoir simulation, optimization, reduced-order modeling, upscaling, flow in fractured systems, history matching, CO2 sequestration, energy systems optimization
