WORCESTER— Clark University is turning up the heat on climate change—by launching the School of Climate, Environment, and Society, a bold initiative aimed at tackling the world’s most pressing environmental crises. Set to open in Fall 2025, the school combines cutting-edge research and interdisciplinary learning to create innovative solutions for a changing planet.
“The School of Climate, Environment, and Society will harness Clark’s agile, integrative approach to research and our foundational expertise to offer something that is distinctive, compelling, and enduring,” said Clark President David Fithian in a statement. “We will be able to leverage our small size, world-class faculty, and strong interdisciplinary core to be a leading contributor and critical voice in the worldwide effort to address the relentless alterations to our climate.”
Lou Leonard, the newly appointed D.J.A. Spencer Dean of CES, leads the initiative. Leonard brings extensive experience from his time as dean of the Falk School of Sustainability and Environment at Chatham University and as senior vice president of the Climate & Energy Program for the World Wildlife Fund.
“Threats to human society from entwined ecological and social crises are undeniable and growing,” Leonard said in an announcement. “I am thrilled to join a university that is meeting this moment boldly and with the power to make a major impact.”
The new school focuses on five interconnected imperatives: sustainable development, governance and justice, urban systems and livelihoods, socioeconomic transitions, and earth systems conservation. It offers new undergraduate and graduate degrees while providing all students access to experience-based learning opportunities.
David Hayes, former special assistant to the president for Climate Policy in the Biden administration, praised Clark’s interdisciplinary approach and Leonard’s leadership. “There is an important place for Clark’s nimble, ground-up approach in our collective response to climate change,” he said in a statement.
The school’s establishment is thanks to a $10 million gift from philanthropist Vickie Riccardo and her family, which funded the dean’s position and initial development efforts. Deborah Robertson, Clark professor and chair of the Biology Department, who led the national search for CES’s inaugural dean, highlighted the importance of this milestone. “The School catapults our collaborative efforts to make a positive difference in the world,” she said, noting that Leonard’s leadership ensures the school’s potential will be fully realized.
Charlene Arsenault can be reached at carsenault@theworcesterguardian.org
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