Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability
Showing 41-60 of 83 Results
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Mathis Heyer
Ph.D. Student in Energy Science and Engineering, admitted Autumn 2024
BioMathis Heyer, from Kiel, Germany, is pursuing a Ph.D. in Energy Science & Engineering at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and a master’s degree in Process Systems Engineering from RWTH Aachen University, Germany, as well as a master’s degree in Management Science and Engineering from Tsinghua University in Beijing.
His research in the Environmental Assessment and Optimization Group at Stanford (https://eao.stanford.edu/) focuses on advancing the understanding of complex energy and process systems through mathematical modeling and optimization. Mathis' work builds on his previous research experiences at the Climate Policy Lab at ETH Zurich and the Sustainable Reaction Engineering Group at Cambridge University. Outside of his academic pursuits, Mathis enjoys volunteering with organizations such as "Engineers Without Borders" and "Europe Meets School" both involved in promoting intercultural exchange.
Mathis has been recognized as a Klaus-Murmann Fellow by the Foundation of German Business (sdw) while at RWTH Aachen and is currently an ERP Fellow with the German Academic Scholarship Foundation and a recipient of the SGF Fellowship. -
Lynn Hildemann
Wayne Loel Professor of Sustainability and Senior Associate Dean for Education
On Leave from 04/01/2026 To 06/30/2026BioLynn Hildemann's current research areas include the sources and dispersion of airborne particulate matter indoors, and assessment of human exposure to air pollutants.
Prof. Hildemann received BS, MS, and PhD degrees in environmental engineering science from the California Institute of Technology. She is an author on >100 peer-reviewed publications, including two with over 1000 citations each, and another 6 with over 500 citations each. She has been honored with Young Investigator Awards from NSF and ONR, the Kenneth T. Whitby Award from the AAAR (1998), and Stanford's Gores Award for Teaching Excellence (2013); she also was a co-recipient of Atmospheric Environment’s Haagen-Smit Outstanding Paper Award (2001).
She has served on advisory committees for the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and for the California Air Resources Board. She has been an Associate Editor for Environmental Science & Technology, and Aerosol Science and Technology, and has served on the advisory board for the journal Environmental Science & Technology.
At Stanford, Prof. Hildemann has been chair of the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, and served as an elected member of the Faculty Senate. She has chaired the School of Engineering Library Committee, the University Committee on Judicial Affairs, and the University Breadth Governance Board. -
Michelle Hill
Postdoctoral Scholar, Earth and Planetary Sciences
BioMichelle's work addresses a fundamental question in exoplanet habitability: determining the minimum planetary size required to maintain an atmosphere, a critical prerequisite for life as we know it. She found that stagnant lid (no plate tectonics) planets Earth sized and below orbiting in the habitable zone (HZ) of a Sun-like star need to be ≥ 0.8 Earth radii to maintain their atmosphere past 1 billion years. As a Stanford Science Fellow, Michelle will advance her research and expand her planetary habitability models to look at how tectonic regime, initial volatile content, stellar type, tidal locking and tidal heating effect the results of whether a planet smaller than Earth can hold onto it's atmosphere. Her faculty host is Laura Schaefer, Assistant Professor in the department of Earth and Planetary Sciences.
Michelle also detects and refines the masses and orbits of exoplanets using a combination of radial velocity (RV), transit and astrometry. She is currently observing 10 known planet systems that have shown indications of additional planets in orbit in order to detect the long period outer companions. These observations have lead to the discovery of 3 planets so far.
Michelle recently completed her PhD in Earth and planetary sciences at the University of California, Riverside, where she developed research on exoplanet habitability while supported by the NASA FINESST award. She lead a catalog paper on the demographics of all the known planets in HZ of their star where she found evidence of the sub-Saturn valley in the HZ. During this time she was also a member of the TESS-Keck Survey (TKS) team that conducted RV followup of TESS Objects of Interest (TOIs) and she lead the discovery paper of TOI-1386 b and c.
Michelle completed her post bachelor honours in astrophysics at University of Southern Queensland, Australia. Here Michelle worked on the occurrence rates of giant exoplanets in the habitable zone of their star and found that while giant planets are less likely to be found in the habitable zone than terrestrial planets, if each giant planet is host to more than one moon then exomoons could be more numerous than terrestrial planets in the habitable zone of their star. This work has direct implications for the fraction of stars in the galaxy that may host habitable terrestrial worlds.
Prior to this Michelle completed her bachelors in physics at University of New England, Australia where she attended San Francisco State University during her year abroad. Here she contributed to a study of the Kepler habitable zone planets where she found that the distribution of planets within the habitable zone closely mirrored the distribution of all known planets. This discovery had major implications for the opportunities of statistical analysis of this relatively small group of habitable zone planets.
Michelle loves flying! She was a commercial pilot before returning to school to study physics. She currently holds an Australian ATPL with plans to (one day!) convert this to an FAA APT. -
George Hilley
Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsActive tectonics, quantitative structural geology and geomorphology; Geographic Information Systems;unsaturated zone gas transport; landscape development;active deformation and mountain belt growth in central Asia, central Andes, and along the San Andreas Fault; integrated investigation of earthquake hazards.
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Sara (Suki) Hoagland
Lecturer
BioSara (Suki) Hoagland is a Lecturer in the Earth Systems Program of the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability. She directs the internship program and team-teaches and mentors the undergraduate Capstone Project. She also teaches the Master's Seminar for the Earth Systems MA and MS co-terms. In 2021 she launched the Sustainability in Athletics course with a team of scholar athletes. Recently she also taught the E-IPER first year Research and Design Seminar and team taught “Gender, Land Rights and Climate Change”. Previously, she was the first Executive Director of Stanford University's Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Environment and Resources, (now E-IPER). She was a Senior Lecturer in that program and in the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. She designed and taught courses for E-IPER such as Case Studies in Environmental Problem Solving, Global Environmental Ethics, and Pioneering Sustainable Development in Costa Rica, which included a field seminar there. She also served as the faculty advisor to the Stanford Farm and the Stanford chapter of Engineers for a Sustainable World. She has also been the Faculty Leader for 8 Stanford Alumni Trips to East Africa and Central America.
From 1989 to 2000, Dr. Hoagland was Assistant Professor at the School of International Service at American University where she created the International Environment and Development Semester, which included three-week field practicums to East Africa and Central America. Dr. Hoagland was also the Director and Clinical Associate Professor for the Masters in Development Practice Program at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver, where she also serves on the Board of Directors. She earned her BA in government from Wesleyan University, her MA in International Relations and Curriculum Development from the University of Denver, and her PhD in International Relations from American University.
She was a national silver medalist in pairs figure skating and earned 10 varsity letters at Wesleyan in field hockey, spring board diving--founder and co-captain and lacrosse--founder and co-captain..The Suki Hoagland Award for Outstanding Contribution to Women's Athletics has been awarded annually ever since. -
Leo Hollberg
Professor (Research) of Physics and of Geophysics
BioHow can we make optimal use of quantum systems (atoms, lasers, and electronics) to test fundamental physics principles, enable precision measurements of space-time and when feasible, develop useful devices, sensors, and instruments?
Professor Hollberg’s research objectives include high precision tests of fundamental physics as well as applications of laser physics and technology. This experimental program in laser/atomic physics focuses on high-resolution spectroscopy of laser-cooled and -trapped atoms, non-linear optical coherence effects in atoms, optical frequency combs, optical/microwave atomic clocks, and high sensitivity trace gas detection. Frequently this involves the study of laser noise and methods to circumvent measurement limitations, up to, and beyond, quantum limited optical detection. Technologies and tools utilized include frequency-stabilized lasers and chip-scale atomic devices. Based in the Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory (HEPL), this research program has strong, synergistic, collaborative connections to the Stanford Center on Position Navigation and Time (SCPNT). Research directions are inspired by experience that deeper understanding of fundamental science is critical and vital in addressing real-world problems, for example in the environment, energy, and navigation. Amazing new technologies and devices enable experiments that test fundamental principles with high precision and sometimes lead to the development of better instruments and sensors. Ultrasensitive optical detection of atoms, monitoring of trace gases, isotopes, and chemicals can impact many fields. Results from well-designed experiments teach us about the “realities” of nature, guide and inform, occasionally produce new discoveries, frequently surprise, and almost always generate new questions and perspectives. -
Randall Holmes
Lecturer
BioAfter completing service in the U.S. Army, Dr. Holmes earned his BS in Civil and Environmental Engineering, MS in Earth System Science, and PhD from Stanford's Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources (E-IPER) focused on sustainable groundwater management in California. As an E-IPER MS Lecturer, Dr. Holmes co-designs and delivers curriculum that bridges theory with practical applications exemplified by the E-IPER MS Capstone Seminar. He creates collaborative learning environments where students develop critical systems-thinking skills through hands-on engagement with complex sustainability challenges. Dr. Holmes' teaching philosophy emphasizes an inclusive, problem-posing education with pedagogical approaches that prepare diverse student populations for both academic success and real-world problem-solving. His interdisciplinary background enables him to connect students with cross-cutting perspectives essential for addressing today's most pressing environmental and resource sustainability issues.
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Alexander Honeyman
Postdoctoral Scholar, Earth System Science
BioI work at the intersections of data science, field work, laboratory experimentation, biogeochemistry, and microbial ecology. I was exposed to the issue of wildland fire through 10 years of experience as a volunteer firefighter / EMT in Colorado (fire / rescue / EMS). My current work involves investigating the geochemical character of wildfire smoke by hybridizing analyses of physical samples with various geospatial datasets and atmospheric particle transport models. I love working in environmental systems because they are complex, and offer numerous opportunities to blend the physical and computational sciences.
