Tiffany Wu, a graduate of the 2023 Columbia University MPA Environmental Science and Policy Program, is a senior program assistant at Winrock International, which provides solutions to complex social and agricultural challenges around the world. WU engages in climate and sustainability projects covering the carbon market, corporate greenhouse gas accounting and clean energy.
Wu Bridges Science, policy and strategy draws on her diverse experience in field research and her background in corporate and nonprofit roles to help organizations take meaningful climate action. In the Q&A below, Wu talks about her career path, the lessons she learned in Colombia and advice for students entering the field.
Can you tell us what you are doing now?
I am a Senior Program Assistant at WinRock International, Climate Zero Services Team. I’ve just been here for a year!
I work in various projects – some energy-related projects, others with voluntary carbon markets or corporate greenhouse gas accounting. I spend a lot of time reading and understanding the landscape of standards and guidance, such as science-based goal programs and greenhouse gas protocols.
Working in many areas really makes sense. I can also see daily details of nonprofit work, including proposal writing and summary grants and contracts. In a nonprofit, you get exposed to all parts of the process, and in a company setup, these responsibilities are often handled by an independent professional team.
You have worked in corporate, nonprofit and public sector roles. How did you browse these different workspaces?
In Colombia, I work on projects related to the Global Reporting Initiative and the Inflation Reduction Act through my courses – Corporate Sustainability Reporting Class (Suma 5025) and Capstone Project. These gave me experience in corporate and public sector environments.
Before graduation, I also worked in corporate, nonprofit and academic roles. Everyone has their own rhythm. Companies tend to act faster, but sustainability efforts there require senior leadership to get a lot of support, while sustainability managers spend a lot of time persuading executives.
Nonprofits are more hands-on. Everyone is committed to this task, but you are often included in projects outside of your comfort zone and expect to learn quickly. Actually, it reminds me of graduate school because you keep learning and adjusting.
Academics are similar in some ways to nonprofit work. When I work in the forest with the owls I found, everyone is passionate about science and field work. However, there are many traditional Chinese tape festivals and funding restrictions.
How did your field work with spotted owls affect your perception of environmental policy?
This experience is really formative to me. Working outdoors is difficult. My schedule is to hike through the forest four days a week from 6pm to 3am overnight, in the dark, taking occupancy and reproductive surveys. It’s hard, but it’s also very meaningful.
We are studying owls found in California that are protected by the state’s endangered species laws. Whenever we confirm a pair of nesting, the U.S. Forest Service will not sell the area of the forest and will be protected. I love seeing the direct link between the research we are doing on the ground and policy decisions to protect habitats.
This work shows me how policy and science strengthen each other. Scientists are collecting data to understand how many habitat owls are needed to successfully reproduce, and the evidence shapes policy decisions that make the species viable. At the same time, it is clear that this policy framework creates motivations for conducting research and implementing protection.
Understanding how my work in this field directly affects the survival of endangered species has really inspired me to pursue the MPA-ESP program. It also helped me realize that, although I like field trips, it is not sustainable for me in the long run. I want to play a role that can help bridge the gap between science and policy.
Is there a particularly meaningful project in Colombia?
The pinnacle is probably the most influential. My team worked with C40 cities and talked about how U.S. cities implemented the inflation reduction bill, which was very new at the time. There isn’t much policy analysis yet, but it’s exciting to take this large, complex legislation and figure out how to make it move to the city.
I have also learned a lot about teamwork since we worked in 10 groups, while doing other courses, job applications and other things in the spring semester.
Company sustainability reporting and strategy also reinforced my interest in company sustainability and provided me with practical experience that still uses today.
What advice would you give to current ESP students?
I encourage students to talk to as many people as possible, not necessarily to find a job, but to understand how different roles and organizations can adapt to the bigger picture.
There are so many sustainability jobs that you may not even know. Conversation with curiosity and openness.
Remember that if you are looking for a job longer than you expected, you are not alone. It took me a year to find the right one after graduation and it was a tough time. But it’s worth it. People choose this field because they care about making the world better, even if the road is not always easy.
Do you have any projects you are excited about?
We are looking at the Company’s Climate Contribution Index, which aims to develop an index that provides investors and the public with indicators of which companies are leaders in how leaders contribute to global greenhouse gas emission efforts by weighing various efforts and achievements.
