7 questions for Alexis Abramson, new director of Columbia Climate Institute – State of the Planet

Some of Alexis Abramson’s earliest memories are shaped by industry’s impact on the environment, namely the polluted Cuyahoga River, which in her youth There was a fire near her hometown. Being a good steward of the Earth has become ingrained in her identity and has led Abramson to a career in engineering and sustainability, now in her new role as dean of the Climate Institute.

Abramson, a man well versed in the sciences and liberal arts, said the Climate Institute, with its multidisciplinary expertise, is uniquely positioned to address the climate crisis. “By bringing disciplines together, it can become a leader in solution-focused collaboration,” she said.

We sat down with Abramson to learn more about her commitment to climate action, her thoughts on innovation and collaboration, and the impact she believes schools will have on solving the climate crisis.

What personal experiences have shaped your commitment to climate action?

I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, which was a steel town. The Cuyahoga River caught fire many times when I was growing up due to industrial waste. When I was a kid, I didn’t really understand why this was important, but later it became integrated into my thinking about environmental issues.

I love the outdoors and really consider it a part of who I am. To support the planet and living things, we need to take responsibility for our actions. We need to be good citizens of the planet. This philosophy was integrated into my education and subsequent career. Combining my interests and experience as a leader—leading climate schools and helping everyone in our community make that impact—is probably the greatest challenge and opportunity I’ve ever faced in my career.

As an incoming dean, what is your leadership philosophy?

I have strong collaborative skills. Whether it’s a project we’re implementing or a practice we’re considering, I try to involve as many faculty, researchers, staff, and students as possible because that’s how we can have the greatest impact.

I’m also very strategic and metric driven. I think it’s important to have a vision for the future and be as specific as possible about that vision because that vision can guide decisions. It’s one thing to say we’re a great climate school. It’s another thing to provide real, concrete examples that prove we’re achieving that goal.

On the culture of innovation: I think this is built into Climate School from day one. This is different from other schools. It is very solution oriented whereas most schools are discipline oriented.

What advantages do you think Climate Schools have in the global climate landscape?

Climate schools are essentially a new paradigm for higher education. Most schools are highly disciplinary, but the Climate Institute is multidisciplinary, blending engineering and science, business and policy, human health and psychology, sociology and anthropology. Having all these things under one umbrella is unique and a big advantage, especially if you are solution-focused. All of these things come together in unique ways to address such interdisciplinary problems. Additionally, being located in New York City has numerous global connections, which is a huge advantage. Climate is a global issue.

What strategies do you have for strengthening collaboration between climate science, policy, economics, and even the arts and humanities?

I wish we could use more quantitative and tangible metrics. For example, how many gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents can we save each year, or how many millions of lives can we save? To get there, we need a lot of collaborative thinking, so how do we get people to have productive and high-impact conversations? I’m used to working with multidisciplinary teams, and in some of the other roles I’ve had, particularly at Dartmouth where I served as chair of the engineering department, we implemented and leveraged design thinking methods to solve complex problems. Design thinking is essentially a creative problem-solving process that uses a systematic approach to produce positive solutions and results. It considers what people really need, as well as the possibilities offered by technology, business and policy. I think the Climate Academy can be a leader in piloting these solutions by bringing disciplines together and using a more design-thinking, human-centered approach. This way we get to better solutions faster, which is what we need.

You have been a strong supporter of women in STEM fields. How do you promote women and underrepresented students in climate schools?

Everyone should feel like they can come to school or work as their authentic selves; they should feel valued and that their work is impactful. If you start from that premise and understand that people have different experiences, different needs and different selves, you need to design the system in such a way that everyone can come with enthusiasm and commitment and feel valued.

At Dartmouth, we spend a lot of time with faculty, staff, and students conducting focus groups and understanding where the pain points are. We form small working groups made up of people who are experiencing some setbacks or challenges, such as women and underrepresented minorities, and then work with our colleagues to find solutions to these very specific problems. I would love to bring more action-oriented, solutions-driven work so that we can continue to address some of the challenges people face and overcome these barriers together.

Climate change affects marginalized communities disproportionately. How do you ensure that your school’s research, education, and outreach efforts are inclusive and address these inequalities?

I think that comes from making sure that we engage the entire community in discussions around inclusion in any decision-making. No matter what we do, delivering education, research, and implementing practice, this collaboration is critical. For me, it’s about collaboration and building community and a culture that’s appreciated. We should also celebrate the achievements of diverse groups of people so that everyone can see the benefits of diversity.

As an engineer, you work to protect the climate throughout your career. How does your background help you lead climate schools?

I realized long ago that engineering alone cannot solve social problems. I am a strong believer in engineering and the liberal arts—engineers alone cannot solve these problems; engineers must solve these problems. They need business, policy, basic science, human behavior, human health. That was one of the reasons I chose to go to Tufts University, which is a liberal arts college with an engineering major. That’s why I’m completing my term as engineering department chair at an engineering liberal arts college. It’s an integral part of who I am. I hope my background can really help us think about how to take the multidisciplinary approach to climate schools to the next level.