Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability
Showing 1-10 of 10 Results
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Zachary Kaufman
Casual - Other Teaching Staff
Postdoctoral Scholar, Earth System ScienceBioMy research as a climate scientist seeks to understand the physical processes that shape the polar regions. The high latitudes are undergoing the largest changes on Earth; in recent decades, Arctic temperatures have warmed at twice the global average, while 2023 featured the lowest Antarctic sea-ice extent on record. Policymakers’ ability to manage the consequences of these changes requires improved polar climate predictability. Rapidly declining Arctic Sea ice exposes new economic resources and shipping routes, necessitating a detailed understanding of where and how quickly newly open water will appear. In the Antarctic, the instability-prone West Antarctic Ice Sheet may have large future contributions to sea-level rise, but predicting the timing and magnitude of ice sheet melt requires a better understanding of how Antarctic warming trends will progress. To address these scientific priorities, my research characterizes ocean-ice sheet interactions, ventilation of the deep ocean, and coupled atmosphere-ocean variability, among other phenomena. A common theme across my work is the use of data-driven techniques to reconcile discrepancies between models and observations, identifying key areas for improving future generations of climate models.
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Makoto Kelp
Affiliate, Earth System Science
Visiting Postdoctoral Scholar, Earth System ScienceBioNOAA Climate and Global Change Postdoctoral Fellow (2023-2025)
Ph.D. - Harvard Univerity (2023)
B.A. - Reed College (2016) -
Julie Kennedy
Professor (Teaching) of Earth System Science, Emerita
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsResearch
For the past 21 years I have been active in designing and running the school's interdisciplinary environmental science and policy undergraduate major, the Earth Systems Program. I have specific interest in interdisciplinary teaching and learning, and in the effective communication of complex interdisciplinary problem descriptions, analysis methods, and solutions to expert and non-expert audiences. I advise and work on research projects with undergraduate and master's level students whose interests include ecology, energy, land systems management, ocean science and policy, sustainability, environmental education, and science communication.
Teaching
I teach classes in interdisciplinary problem analysis and in critical reading and review of environmental literature. I also am one of a number of faculty who co-teach the Earth Systems gateway course, Introduction to Earth Systems.
Professional Activities
My professional activities center on undergraduate education. I have been active for decades on Stanford committees that examine standards and policies, the review of general education requirements, undergraduate advising programs, student mental health, and student diversity. -
Alexandra Konings
Associate Professor of Earth System Science, Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment and, by courtesy, of Geophysics
BioAlexandra Konings leads the Remote Sensing Ecohydrology group, which studies interactions between the global carbon and water cycles. That is, her research studies how changes in hydrological conditions change ecosystems, and how this in turn feeds back to weather and climate. These interactions include studies of transpiration and root water uptake, photosynthesis, mortality, and fire processes, among others. To address these topics, the groups primarily uses the tools of model development and remote sensing (satellite) data, especially microwave remote sensing data of vegetation water content. Alex believes that a deep understanding of remote sensing techniques and how they can be used to create environmental datasets enables new opportunities for scientific insight and vice versa.
