Bio


Rwaida “Rudy” Gharib is pursuing her PhD in environment and resources (E-IPER) at the Stanford School of Sustainability. Her research focuses on environmental justice and the policy changes/financing needed to support the climate adaptation and resilience of vulnerable populations—specifically, those living in rural poverty, women and girls, and im/migrants/refugees.

Rwaida has worked in humanitarian aid and international development for more than 15 years, acting as an advisor to the World Bank Group’s climate finance programming, supporting the UN Development Programme’s (UNDP) biodiversity platforms, and serving as a presidential appointee for the Obama Administration in various capacities. Rwaida was one of the designers of the White House Power Africa Initiative, a public-private partnership designed to increase access to renewable energy for Sub-Saharan Africa and accelerate the just transition for the continent.

She is an EDGE scholar and a Dalai Lama Fellow.