Alumni

From greening global trade to reducing the “embodied” carbon emissions generated by building materials to de-fossilizing our economy through innovation in green chemistry and green engineering, Yale faculty and thought leaders participating in COP28 emphasized a multidisciplinary approach to addressing the climate crisis. 

Forests play a key role in mitigating climate change by removing and storing carbon dioxide, but they are facing increasing challenges. In the new Department of Energy report “Roads to Removal,” a team of YSE scientists map out a plan to reach critical climate goals by increasing the total forested area in the U.S., increasing the rate at which forests

Kirsten Williams '23 MEM/JD will serve as an international and interagency ocean policy liaison for the Office of the Oceanographer of the Navy as a 2024 John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellow. 

Forester and federal wildland firefighter Monte Kawahara is working to mitigate the effects of extreme wildfires by focusing on the root causes and partnering with tribal communities. Kawahara’s efforts earned him the Yale School of Environment's 2023 Prospect Street Award.

From populating an early conservation database using IBM key punch cards to protecting many thousands of acres of ecologically significant lands in South Carolina, 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award winner Tom Kohlsaat ’73 MFS has always been guided by the relevant conservation needs of the day.

As executive director of the Chesapeake Bay Commission, Ann Pesiri Swanson '83 MES brought together scientists, federal and state legislators, and environmental advocates to forge agreements to protect the health of the largest estuary in the U.S.

A team of YSE-led researchers have now solved a 100-year-old paleontology mystery: How did ancient plants emerge from swamps and riverbanks to new habitats with limited access to water?

Industry leaders and energy experts gathering at the Yale Clean Energy Conference this week weigh in on how the Inflation Reduction Act will impact their individual sectors and the U.S. transition to clean energy.

As a woman, a scientist, and in countless other roles in her life and career, Sharon Friedman ’77 MFS defied expectations and challenged norms. In recognition of her accomplishments and dedication to the School, she will receive the Distinguished Alumni Award from YSE at Reunion Weekend 2022.

California will achieve carbon neutrality by 2045 at the latest, and the playbook 2022 Prospect Street Award winner Shereen D’Souza ’12 MESc and her colleagues created will serve as a model for the rest of the U.S. and the world.

The environmental law career of Brandi Colander '07 MEM, a 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award winner, has spanned the public and private sector with a particular focus on building consensus and promoting inclusion of underrepresented communities. 

YSE’s Rob Klee, former Commissioner of Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, examines the implications of the Supreme Court’s decision limiting the EPA’s power to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. 

A new study, co-authored by researchers from The Forest School at YSE, examines how New Haven’s urban forest patches change over time and management strategies for mid-size urban forests.

Nearly 100 graduates returned to campus with family and friends for an in-person celebration, which included ceremonies at Old Campus and Kroon Courtyard.

The Forest School at the Yale School of the Environment has helped establish the Northeast Forest Farmers Coalition, an education and outreach program designed to help the region’s forest landowners build forest farming operations.