Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability
Showing 41-60 of 121 Results
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Paul Segall
The Cecil H. and Ida M. Green Professor of Geophysics
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsResearch
I study active earthquake and volcanic process through data collection, inversion, and theoretical modeling. Using methods such as precise Global Positioning System (GPS) positioning and Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) we are able to measure deformation in space and time and invert these data for the geometry of faults and magma chambers, and spatiotemporal variations in fault slip-rate and magma chamber dilation. The accumulation of shear strain in tectonic regions provides a direct measure of earthquake potential. Similarly, magma accumulation in the crust prior to eruptions causes measurable inflation. We use these data to develop and test models of active plate boundaries such as the San Andreas, and the Cascade and Japanese subduction zones, the nucleation of earthquakes, slow slip events, induced seismicity, and the physics of magma migration leading to volcanic eruptions. These physics-based models rely on principles and methodologies from solid and fluid dynamics.
Teaching
I teach introductory undergraduate classes in natural hazards and the prediction of volcanic eruptions, as well as graduate level courses on modeling earthquake and volcano deformation and geophysical inverse theory.
Professional Activities
James B. Macelwane Medal, American Geophysical Union (1990); fellow, American Geophysical Union (1990); fellow, Geological Society of America (1997); president, Tectonophysics Section, AGU (2002-04); U.S.G.S. Science of Earthquakes Advisory Committee (2002-06); California Earthquake Prediction Evaluation Committee (2003-07); chair, Plate Boundary Observatory Steering Committee (2003-06); N.S.F. Panel, Instruments and Facilities Program (1997-2000); associate editor, Journal of Geophysical Research (1984-87). William Smith Lecturer, Geological Society of London (2011). Charles A. Whitten Medal, American Geophysical Union (2014), National Academy of Sciences (2016) -
Alicia Seiger
Visiting Scholar, Precourt Institute for Energy
BioAlicia Seiger is a recognized expert at the intersections of climate, technology, policy, finance, and innovation. She is a Visiting Scholar at SDSS and an occasional lecturer. Alicia currently directs the climate program at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI). Prior to CZI, Alicia led sustainability and energy finance initiatives at Stanford Law, Graduate School of Business, and the Doerr School for Sustainability. Alicia has served as an advisor to the Governors of California and New York, the New York State Comptroller, and numerous pension fund, endowment, and family office CIOs on the topics of climate risk, opportunity, and resiliency. For over two decades, Alicia has designed and executed climate and energy strategies for businesses, foundations, investors, and NGOs. She has led on the management teams of multiple startups, including at TerraPass, a pioneer of the US voluntary carbon offset market, and Flycast Communications, one of the world’s first web advertising networks. She co-founded Stanford Professionals in Energy (SPIE) and serves on the boards of Prime Coalition and The E-liability Institute and on the Editorial Board of the Oxford Open Climate Change Journal.
Her first book, "Settling Climate Accounts: Navigating the Road to Net Zero" contextualizes the history of climate action, examines the practices of pursuing net zero, and makes recommendations for the road ahead. Alicia received her BA from Duke University in a self-designed curriculum intersecting environmental science and policy with cultural anthropology, and earned her MBA at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. -
Elizabeth Selig, Ph.D.
Managing Director, Center for Ocean Solutions, Center for Ocean Solutions
BioElizabeth Selig works at the intersection of environmental and social sustainability in marine ecosystems. Her current research focuses on understanding social-ecological feedbacks in ocean health, marine resource conflicts, and patterns in illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and labor abuses in fisheries. Selig received her Ph.D. in ecology at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. Her dissertation focused on how global climate change may affect coral reef health and management strategies that can help mitigate coral loss. She has more than ten years of experience working with international non-governmental organizations including Conservation International, where she was the Senior Director of Marine Science. She has also worked at the Smithsonian Institution and the World Resources Institute.
Selig is part of the core team behind the Blue Food Assessment, an international scientific assessment of the contribution of aquatic foods to human nutrition and environmental impacts, with a focus on equity and environmental vulnerability of production. For the last several years, she has also been a part of the Seafood Business for Ocean Stewardship (SeaBOS) science team. She was a lead author on the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Global Assessment and is part of the International Science Advisory Council for the Stockholm Resilience Centre. -
Debbie Senesky
Associate Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics, of Electrical Engineering, Senior Fellow at the Precourt Institute for Energy and Associate Professor, by courtesy, of Photon Science
BioDebbie G. Senesky is an Associate Professor at Stanford University in the Aeronautics and Astronautics Department and the Electrical Engineering Department. In addition, she is the Principal Investigator of the EXtreme Environment Microsystems Laboratory (XLab). Her research interests include the development of nanomaterials for extreme harsh environments, high-temperature electronics for Venus exploration, and microgravity synthesis of nanomaterials. In the past, she has held positions at GE Sensing (formerly known as NovaSensor), GE Global Research Center, and Hewlett Packard. She received the B.S. degree (2001) in mechanical engineering from the University of Southern California. She received the M.S. degree (2004) and Ph.D. degree (2007) in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. Prof. Senesky is the Site Director of nano@stanford. She is currently the co-editor of two technical journals: IEEE Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems and Sensors. In recognition of her research, she received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) in 2025, Emerging Leader Abie Award from AnitaB.org in 2018, Early Faculty Career Award from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 2012, Gabilan Faculty Fellowship Award in 2012, and Sloan Ph.D. Fellowship from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation in 2004.
Prof. Senesky's career path and research has been featured by Scientific American, Seeker, People Behind the Science podcast, The Future of Everything radio show, Space.com, and NPR's Tell Me More program. More information about Prof. Senesky can be found at https://xlab.stanford.edu and on Instagram (@astrodebs). -
Ross Shachter
Associate Professor of Management Science and Engineering
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsProf. Shachter's research has focused on the representation, manipulation, and analysis of uncertainty and probabilistic reasoning in decision systems. As part of this work, he developed the DAVID influence diagram processing system for the Macintosh. He has developed models scheduling patients for cancer follow-up, and analyzing vaccination strategies for HIV and Helobacter pylori.
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He Shan
Postdoctoral Scholar, Energy Science and Engineering
BioHe Shan obtained a joint Ph.D. in Energy and Engineering Thermophysics from Shanghai Jiao Tong University and National University of Singapore. His research focuses on functional soft materials and thermal engineering design for water-energy systems. Working with his supervisor, Prof. Ruzhu Wang, he studies atmospheric water harvesting systems that extract clean water from arid air. His work includes developing a thermodynamic framework for hygroscopic materials and proposing new cyclic operating principles for water harvesting systems. These advances have been translated into a spin-off company and demonstrated in real arid climates. He received his M.S. from Chongqing University and was awarded the Shanghai Jiao Tong University Academic Star in 2023.
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Benjamin Shapero
Ph.D. Student in Earth System Science, admitted Autumn 2020
BioI am a geomicrobiologist and am broadly interested in the connections between protein biochemistry, environmental microbiology, and biogeochemistry. I hail from the surf town of Encinitas near San Diego. I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of Southern California (USC), where I majored in both Biological Sciences and Classical Saxophone Performance. At USC I volunteered in a cellular and molecular neuroscience lab, and it was there that I discovered my fascination with proteins. After graduation, I worked in a vaccine design lab at Scripps Research. This research fostered my growing fascination with protein biochemistry and further exposed me to the realm of microbiology. I have since followed my interests in proteins and microbiology, along with my longstanding passion for climate science, to the field of geomicrobiology. I am currently pursuing a Ph.D. in geomicrobiology at Stanford University in the Earth System Science department.
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Rohan Sharma
Ph.D. Student in Geophysics, admitted Autumn 2025
Masters Student in Geophysics, admitted Autumn 2026BioI’m a Ph.D. student in the Department of Geophysics. My research explores the applications of quantum computing and scientific machine learning to geophysical problems, with a focus on modeling, inversion, and uncertainty quantification.
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Kassandra Sharp
Senior Web Developer, Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability - Dean's Office
Current Role at StanfordSenior Web Developer for Stanford School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences, Dean's Office, developing back end infrastructure for school, department, program, and research group web sites as well as special projects and other areas of interest.
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Zhi-Xun Shen
Paul Pigott Professor of Physical Sciences, Professor of Applied Physics, of Physics and Senior Fellow at the Precourt Institute for Energy
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsDr. Shen's main research interest lies in the area of condensed matter and materials physics, as well as the applications of materials and devices. He develops photon based innovative instrumentation and advanced experimental techniques, ranging from angle-resolved photoemission to microwave imaging, soft x-ray scattering and time domain spectroscopy and scattering. He has created a body of literature that advanced our understanding of quantum materials, including superconductors, semiconductors, novel magnets, topological insulators, novel carbon and electron emitters. He is best known for his discoveries of the momentum structure of anisotropic d-wave pairing gap and anomalous normal state pseudogap in high temperature superconductors. He has further leveraged the advanced characterization tool to make better materials through thin film and interface engineering.
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Bill Sherrod
Hopkins Marine Station Associate Director, Hopkins Marine Station
BioBill is the Associate Director of Hopkins Marine Station, where he is responsible for the strategic planning and execution of the station’s infrastructure and facility operations. He also guides government and community relations on its behalf.
Bill joined Stanford after serving as the principal of Trident Advisory Group, a consulting firm providing strategic guidance to technology startups, regional economic development organizations, and higher education institutions. An International Coaching Federation-educated coach, he serves as a Fellow at Ordinary Hero Coaching. He also serves on the Monterey County Military and Veteran Affairs Commission, the Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, and is a member of the Center for Ocean Leadership's Strategic Advisory Committee.
Previously, Bill served for 29 years in the US Navy, where he led from the small-unit to the enterprise level in various roles of increasing responsibility across maritime operations, aviation, special operations, installation management, and higher education administration. His operational experience spans from blue-water small-craft operations to Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier operations, and includes nearly 2,000 hours flying the SH-60B Seahawk multi-mission helicopter in support of operations ranging from humanitarian assistance to counter-terrorism activities. He held executive leadership roles managing a 42,000-acre multi-service Department of Defense installation. Bill's military career concluded at the Naval Postgraduate School, where he served as Chief of Staff. He established the Office of Strategic Initiatives, serving as its director, and developed the institution's strategic framework. He also served as the Director, President’s Action Group; the Deputy Director (Navy) of the Naval Warfare Studies Institute; the Assistant Chief of Staff for Aviation Activities; and the Air Warfare Chair, providing professional mentorship and guidance to designated and prospective Naval Aviators.
