Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability
Showing 1,401-1,450 of 1,471 Results
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Alicia Wongel
Affiliate,
BioAlicia is a Visiting Postdoc in the Sustainable Solutions Lab with Steve Davis and a Postdoctoral Fellow at Carnegie Science at Stanford. Her research focuses on modeling energy scenarios to assess the roles of various technologies that could complement wind and solar generation, ultimately facilitating the transition to a zero-emissions energy system. She firmly believes that multidisciplinary and diverse teams are essential for tackling the complex climate and energy challenges we face.
Alicia earned her doctorate in particle physics, where she explored some of nature's deepest mysteries at the smallest scales. While she found great joy in trying to advance our understanding of the universe’s fundamental principles, she is now eager to apply her expertise to drive the transition to a clean energy future. -
Tracey Woodruff
Professor of Epidemiology and Population Health and Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment
BioMy research is devoted to identify and addressing environmental pollution exposures - petrochemicals, pesticides, plastics and other toxic contaminants - and the impacts on health. I focus on filling critical gaps in knowledge that will result in structural changes that improve health and reduce inequities. I collaborate across disciplines to create systemic solutions that integrate environmental health, public policy, and healthcare for significant public health advancements. My research expertise encompasses all aspects of understanding and characterizing environmental chemical exposures and their health impacts, especially on vulnerable and susceptible populations due to life stage, such as pregnant women and children, and demographics, such as poverty and race/ethnicity. I led multidisciplinary investigations to: identify and measure human exposures to environmental contaminants via modeling and biomonitoring including advanced methods for nontargeted analysis; identify biological mechanisms using in vitro and in vivo systems; assess the impact of multiple chemical exposures on pregnancy and child outcomes via epidemiology studies; and develop and apply methods for translating research findings into improved clinical care and public policy.
I have extensive expertise and experience in translating science into clinical and policy decision-making. I led the development of the Navigation Guide Systematic Review Methodology, the first systematic review method for environmental health science, developed in collaboration with multiple collaborators from international, national, and state governments, community groups, and the clinical community, integrates best practices from clinical medicine and environmental health evaluation. I continue to collaborate on systematic reviews including pesticides and Parkinson’s, and methodological improvements. I am widely recognized for my expertise in the use of science in decision making for environmental chemicals. I’ve been invited to testify before Congress and the State of California multiple times and I lead our Science Action Network that engages in bring best available science to regulatory decision-making. I have also collaborated with other faculty on empirical research to identify how industries adversely influence the scientific process.
Before Stanford, I was a Professor at UCSF and Director of the Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment. I now with UCSF co-lead the UCSF/Stanford Environmental Research and Translation for Health Center funded by a NIEHS P30 mechanism. Prior to UCSF I served for over 10 years in the Office of Policy at the US Environmental Protection Agency. -
Jane Woodward
Adjunct Professor, Atmosphere and Energy
BioJane Woodward is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Stanford University where she has taught classes on energy and environment since 1991. She currently serves on the teaching teams for Understand Energy and Stanford Climate Ventures. Jane also serves on Stanford's Precourt Institute for Energy Advisory Council and has founded and continues to fund multiple sustainable energy education initiatives at the university.
Jane is a Founder and Managing Partner of WovenEarth Ventures, a US early-stage climate venture fund of funds. Additionally, she is an investor in several early-stage sustainable energy companies and funds, as well as an advisor and director for some of them.
Jane is a Founding Partner at MAP Energy, an energy investment firm currently focused on oil and gas royalty interests. MAP began investing in natural gas mineral rights in 1987, wind energy in 2004, utility scale solar in 2015, and energy storage in 2017. In December 2020, MAP sold its renewable energy and energy storage assets under management to Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP). The company remains one of the longest-standing private energy investment fund management firms in the US.
In 2016, Jane created The Foster Museum, a 14,000-square-foot art venue in Palo Alto, to share artist-explorer Tony Foster’s powerful exhibitions of watercolor journeys with an intention to inspire connection to the natural world.
Prior to founding MAP in 1987, Jane worked as an exploration geologist with ARCO Exploration Company and later as a petroleum engineering consultant to Stanford University’s endowment. Jane has a BS in Geology from UC Santa Barbara, an MS in Engineering and Petroleum Geology, and an MBA, both from Stanford University. -
Katie Wu
Ph.D. Student in Environment and Resources, admitted Autumn 2022
Ph.D. Minor, Civil and Environmental EngineeringBioKatie's research explores how community-driven social interventions and infrastructure development impact community and climate resilience in informal settlements. Her work advances how we operationalize resilience to better inform community-based strategies, policy, and investments that support urban transformation for vulnerable populations. She incorporates participatory methods essential for driving community-led efforts, ensuring a community's deep participation in every step of the iterative analysis, planning, and decision-making processes, in collaboration with multi-sectoral partners and decision-makers. Katie integrates advanced data science techniques, including network science and graph neural networks (GNNs), with community-generated, ground-truthed data to redefine how resilience is measured and applied for more equitable, community-driven strategies for sustainable development. She uses unconventional data sources, such as satellite imagery and citizen-sourced data, to model the built and natural environment in areas with limited conventional data.
Prior to Stanford, Katie studied data science and AI for Product Innovation at Duke University, where she obtained a Master of Engineering Management (MEM). She was a Sustainability Graduate Intern at Lyft, Inc., where she completed and rebuilt their 2020 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory and Report and designed an air quality model forecasting potential health benefits of EV adoption for underserved communities. She received an M.S. in Medical Science from the University of Colorado School of Medicine and a B.S. in Animal Science with Distinction in Research from Cornell University. Katie is a Dean's Graduate Scholar in the Doerr School of Sustainability, an Emerson Consequential Scholar with the Stanford Technology Ventures Program (STVP), a Graduate Fellow at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI (HAI), and a Stanford Dalai Lama Fellow. -
Flora Jiaxuan Xu
Ph.D. Student in Environment and Resources, admitted Autumn 2023
BioFlora Jiaxuan Xu is a PhD candidate in the Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources (E-IPER) at Stanford University, working at the intersection of environmental psychology, civil and environmental engineering, urban design, and behavioral science. Her research investigates how people define, experience, and internalize “nature” as part of the self, and how psychological, cultural, and built-environment factors shape human–nature relationships in contemporary cities.
Drawing on theories of identity, perception, cultural psychology, and ecological systems, Flora proposes Nature Identity as a new interdisciplinary framework for understanding how nature becomes woven into self-concept and everyday meaning-making. She employs a broad mixed-methods approach—including qualitative interviews, quantitative modeling, ecological momentary assessment, photovoice, and human-centered design—to examine how urban nature influences wellbeing, identity formation, and environmental behavior. In parallel, she develops creative, design-driven solutions such as immersive installations, biophilic illusions, narrative and sensory interventions, and technology-enabled building features that aim to strengthen nature connection and promote climate engagement in urban settings.
Flora works with the Social Ecology Lab and the Billington Lab, as well as external partners in urban design, behavioral science, and immersive storytelling. Her work seeks to bridge scientific research with real-world application, advancing strategies that integrate psychology, culture, and design to foster healthier and more nature-responsive cities.
Prior to Stanford, Flora completed an M.S. in Environmental Health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and holds B.A. degrees in Sustainable Environmental Design and Cognitive Science from the University of California, Berkeley. -
Sandeep Yadav
Postdoctoral Scholar, Energy Science and Engineering
BioSandeep Yadav is a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Energy Resources Engineering at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability. His research focuses on advancing sustainable energy systems, with an emphasis on techno-economic analysis and modeling of carbon capture retrofits for industrial decarbonization and energy efficiency. He earned his Ph.D. in Energy Science and Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, where he specialized in the techno-economic assessment of carbon capture technologies, data center cooling, and combined cooling and power systems. Sandeep is committed to supporting the global transition to low-carbon energy and is passionate about mentoring the next generation of scientists and engineers.
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Da Yang
Assistant Professor Geophysics
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy research focuses on atmospheric convection and clouds—the major sources of uncertainty in predicting future climate change. Key questions in this field include: What makes air rise to form clouds? How do individual convective clouds organize into expansive rainstorms? How does convection work in warmer climates? I combine theory, observations, numerical models, and machine learning methods to address these most fundamental yet challenging questions.
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Audrey Yau
Director, Stanford Energy Postdoctoral Fellowship, Precourt Institute for Energy
BioAs a Director in the Precourt Institute for Energy in the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, Audrey is responsible for the overall strategic and operational leadership for the Stanford Energy Postdoctoral Fellowship. In her role, Audrey develops educational experiences that connect academic learning with real world impact for postdoctoral scholars in Stanford's newest school.
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David Zhen Yin
Senior Research Scientist - Physical
BioDavid Zhen Yin is the co-founder and program director of Stanford Mineral-X, a research innovation hub on creating resilient mineral supply chains for energy transitions. He is also the principal scientist at Stanford Center for Earth Resources Forecasting. Since 2024, David has been serving on the US National Academies Committee on optimizing the USGS Mineral Resources Program.
David develops data-scientific approaches for prediction, uncertainty quantification, and decision-making in critical earth resources exploration and development. He has broad experience with complex projects involving academia and industry and has broad knowledge of the fields. His research delivered several key technologies transferred as in-house technologies in Chevron, Equinor, and KoBold. Over the past decade, his research developments have been implemented on various subjects, from Antarctica bed topography modeling, North Sea and Gulf of Mexico energy projects, and numerous critical mineral exploration projects across five continents.
Before joining Stanford, David was a Research Associate at the Edinburgh Time-Lapse Project in Scotland, leading a geophysical monitoring research project in collaboration with Equinor from 2016 to 2018. He was also a technology consultant at Equinor's Research Center in Bergen, Norway. Then, he was a Chevron CoRE Postdoctoral Fellow at Stanford from 2018 to 2021. He was the Co-PI of the Stanford-KoBold collaboration from 2020 to 2022 which led to a $192.5 million Series B fundraising.
David received his Ph.D. in Geosciences from Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK, in 2016. His research interests include data science for geosciences, geological uncertainty quantification, and decision-making under uncertainty. He has authored one book and tens of articles in peer-reviewed journals and international conferences. -
Eric Yin
Temp - Non-Exempt, Human and Planetary Health
BioEric is a MS student in the Epidemiology and Clinical Research Program working under the supervision of Dr. Ashley Styczynski and Dr. Stephen Luby. His thesis explores how natural ventilation can be used to reduce airborne disease transmission in LMIC hospitals and the cost effectiveness of these strategies. Eric is also a Stanford CARE Team Science Fellow, helping undergraduate students develop quantitative skills for applications in Asian precision medicine research.
Prior to graduate school, Eric received his undergraduate degree from the University of Toronto with a major in neuroscience and a double minor in statistics and computer science. His previous research endeavors have involved the exploration of novel MRI biomarkers for Alzheimer's Disease, the localization of hippocampal engram neurons, and the cognitive impacts of surgically induced menopause. -
Miki Yu
Assistant Director, Strategic Outreach, Precourt Institute for Energy
BioMiki Yu joined Precourt Institute for Energy (PIE) as an Event and Outreach Program Planner. In this role she will help shape the programs that PIE, TomKat Center and GCEP offer as they build greater visibility within the Stanford community, the energy community at large, and throughout the world.
Miki started at Stanford working for the Office of Development in 2002, where she reported to the Vice President’s office. She then joined the Stanford Challenge Campaign as an initial team member, working with OOD partners and engaging volunteers and donors at every stage to build and direct momentum for The Stanford Challenge campaign. She was instrumental in executing the Leading Matters component of the campaign, which achieved record breaking attendance and engagement results. -
Yifan Yu
Ph.D. Student in Geophysics, admitted Autumn 2022
BioYifan is a PhD student in Geophysics, advised by Prof. Greg Beroza. His research interests include earthquake source study, location, and machine learning. He received bachelor degree in geophysics from Nanjing University.
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Richard Zare
Marguerite Blake Wilbur Professor of Natural Science and Professor, by courtesy, of Physics
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy research group is exploring a variety of topics that range from the basic understanding of chemical reaction dynamics to the nature of the chemical contents of single cells.
Under thermal conditions nature seems to hide the details of how elementary reactions occur through a series of averages over reagent velocity, internal energy, impact parameter, and orientation. To discover the effects of these variables on reactivity, it is necessary to carry out studies of chemical reactions far from equilibrium in which the states of the reactants are more sharply restricted and can be varied in a controlled manner. My research group is attempting to meet this tough experimental challenge through a number of laser techniques that prepare reactants in specific quantum states and probe the quantum state distributions of the resulting products. It is our belief that such state-to-state information gives the deepest insight into the forces that operate in the breaking of old bonds and the making of new ones.
Space does not permit a full description of these projects, and I earnestly invite correspondence. The following examples are representative:
The simplest of all neutral bimolecular reactions is the exchange reaction H H2 -> H2 H. We are studying this system and various isotopic cousins using a tunable UV laser pulse to photodissociate HBr (DBr) and hence create fast H (D) atoms of known translational energy in the presence of H2 and/or D2 and using a laser multiphoton ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer to detect the nascent molecular products in a quantum-state-specific manner by means of an imaging technique. It is expected that these product state distributions will provide a key test of the adequacy of various advanced theoretical schemes for modeling this reaction.
Analytical efforts involve the use of capillary zone electrophoresis, two-step laser desorption laser multiphoton ionization mass spectrometry, cavity ring-down spectroscopy, and Hadamard transform time-of-flight mass spectrometry. We believe these methods can revolutionize trace analysis, particularly of biomolecules in cells. -
Howard Zebker
Kwoh Ting Li Professor in the School of Engineering and Professor of Geophysics
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsResearch
My students and I study the surfaces of Earth and planets using radar remote sensing methods. Our specialization is interferometric radar, or InSAR. InSAR is a technique to measure mm-scale surface deformation at fine resolution over wide areas, and much of our work follows from applying this technique to the study of earthquakes, volcanoes, and human-induced subsidence. We also address global environmental problems by tracking the movement of ice in the polar regions. whose ice mass balance affects sea level rise and global climate. We participate in NASA space missions such as Cassini, in which we now are examining the largest moon of Saturn, Titan, to try and deduce its composition and evolution. Our work includes experimental observation and modeling the measurements to best understand processes affecting the Earth and solar system. We use data acquired by spaceborne satellites and by large, ground-based radar telescopes to support our research.
Teaching
I teach courses related to remote sensing methods and applications, and how these methods can be used to study the world around us. At the undergraduate level, these include introductory remote sensing uses of the full electromagnetic spectrum to characterize Earth and planetary surfaces and atmospheres, and methods of digital image processing. I also teach a freshman and sophomore seminar course on natural hazards. At the graduate level, the courses are more specialized, including the math and physics of two-dimensional imaging systems, plus detailed ourses on imaging radar systems for geophysical applications.
Professional Activities
InSAR Review Board, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (2006-present); editorial board, IEEE Proceedings (2005-present); NRC Earth Science and Applications from Space Panel on Solid Earth Hazards, Resources, and Dynamics (2005-present); Chair, Western North America InSAR (WInSAR) Consortium (2004-06); organizing committee, NASA/NSF/USGS InSAR working group; International Union of Radioscience (URSI) Board of Experts for Medal Evaluations (2004-05); National Astronomy and Ionospheric Center, Arecibo Observatory, Visiting Committee, (2002-04; chair, 2003-04); NASA Alaska SAR Facility users working group (2000-present); associate editor, IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing (1998-present); fellow, IEEE (1998)
