Climate School Appoints Five New Faculty Members – State of the Planet

The Climate School faculty has expanded with the transfer of five officers of research into faculty roles, Dean Jeffrey Shaman has announced. “Part of the mission of the Columbia Climate School is to prepare the workforce of tomorrow to tackle the complex issues presented by the changing climate and other sustainability challenges,” said Shaman. “A strong faculty will help us achieve this.” All appointments will be effective January 1, 2025.

Suzana Camargo (Professor of Climate) is an expert on extreme events, in particular tropical cyclones and their relationship with climate on various time scales. In the last few years, she has been teaching a core undergraduate climate course as an adjunct of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, as well as a course on disasters in the Master of Science in Sustainability Science program. Camargo is originally from Brazil, where she studied physics at the University of São Paulo. She received a Ph.D. in physics from the Technical University of Munich, Germany. She was elected a fellow of the American Geophysical Union in 2023. 

Michael Puma (Professor of Climate) leads the Center for Climate Systems Research at the Climate School, working with NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies. As director, he oversees about 40 scientists and staff, guiding research in climate science, space studies, and climate impact analysis. His research focuses on global food security, human migration, and how water and climate interact. By examining the complex factors that influence these systems, Puma provides valuable insights for policymakers and addresses important issues in global food security and migration caused by environmental changes and conflicts. 

Lisa Sachs (Associate Professor of Professional Practice) is director of the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment (CCSI), a joint center of Columbia Climate School and Columbia Law School. Since joining CCSI in 2008, she established and oversees its interdisciplinary research and advisory work on the alignment of investment law, practice, and policy with the Sustainable Development Goals. She is a globally recognized expert in the ways that laws, policies and business practices shape global investment flows and affect sustainable development. She works with global stakeholders across sectors to understand the inter-relations of investment flows and sustainable development, and to influence investment policies and practices to promote the SDGs and the Paris Agreement. 

Jeff Schlegelmilch (Associate Professor of Professional Practice) is director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at the Columbia Climate School, where he is also the director of Executive Education and Non-Degree Programs. His areas of expertise include public health preparedness, community resilience, and the integration of private and public sector capabilities. In addition to his work at Columbia, he also serves as an advisor to private sector organizations on topics related to grid resilience planning, and advises leaders on preparedness systems and policy at all levels of government. He is an opinion contributor with The Hill and is frequently called upon as an expert for numerous media outlets.

Gisela Winckler (Professor of Climate) is a climate scientist and isotope geochemist. Her research focuses on the history and causes of climate variability in the past, present and future. She uses elemental and isotopic analyses to unravel processes of climate and environmental change in the oceans and on continents, on time scales ranging from decades to tens of millions of years. Her research on the interplay of climate change, the carbon cycle and aerosols uses climate archives such as deep-sea sediments, lake sediments and polar ice cores from Antarctica and Greenland. She is interested in fostering innovative ways of connecting science, art, journalism, design, climate activism and outreach.