Sheila Foster Appointed Professor of Climate – State of the Planet

The Columbia Climate School announced today that Sheila Foster has been appointed a tenured professor of climate at the Climate School. The appointment will take effect July 1, said interim dean Jeffrey Shaman.

Most recently, Foster served as visiting professor of climate at the Climate School during the 2023-2024 academic year, and the Scott K. Ginsberg Professor of Urban Law and Policy and professor of public policy at Georgetown University. She is a leading scholar of environmental and climate justice. Her research spans a broad range of topics, including innovative resource governance regimes, land use policy, and the role of subnational governments and local leaders in addressing cross-border challenges such as climate change. She was also recently elected as a fellow to the American College of Environmental Lawyers. 

Professor Foster obtained her undergraduate degree in English, with honors, at the University of Michigan, and her JD at the University of California, Berkeley.