Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability

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For life on Earth. Forever.

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A blueprint for mapping melting ice sheets

Stanford researchers have created an open-source tool so other scientists can make ice-penetrating radar systems at a fraction of the cost of current methods.

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The rise of plant life changed how rivers move, study shows

Research reveals that unvegetated meandering rivers can geologically masquerade as braided rivers, suggesting they were much more common in the first 90 percent of Earth’s history than previously thought.

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Our mission

The Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability advances knowledge, solutions, and impact through research and education to create a thriving, enduring future for humanity and the planet.

About the school

Building on Stanford University’s foundational commitment to improving lives, the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability launched in 2022 as the university’s first new school in 75 years. Departments create new knowledge and train future leaders. For life on Earth. Forever.

For solutions that enable thriving cities, communities, and nature. 

Civil & Environmental Engineering

For exploring planets to understand our world. 

Earth & Planetary Sciences

For new understanding of Earth’s interconnected systems. 

Earth System Science

For engineering the energy systems our future demands. 

Energy Science & Engineering

For creating environmentally sustainable social and economic systems.

Environmental Social Sciences

For turning signals into discoveries and solutions.

Geophysics

For ocean discovery, science, education, and solutions that sustain life on Earth.

Oceans

Institutes innovate across disciplines

For real-world solutions sustaining the environment, climate, and people.

Woods Institute for the Environment

For turning ideas into impact.

Sustainability Accelerator

More about the Sustainability Accelerator

Meet the Dean

“From studying how electricity can be affordable and sustainable for all, to designing future cities where people and nature thrive, we’re shaping a new paradigm for research, education, and impact, focused on humanity and the planet.”

Arun Majumdar
Chester Naramore Dean, Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability
Jay Precourt Professor of Mechanical Engineering and of Energy Science & Engineering
Senior Fellow, Precourt Institute for Energy

Meet the Dean

Research and impact

Stories

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Survival of the blandest: Unusual sharks face highest extinction risk
October 29, 2025

An analysis of shark tooth shapes, a proxy for body size and diet, reveals species with specialized traits are most at risk of extinction. The findings are the latest example of the biodiversity crisis affecting the tree of life’s most distinctive branches. Unless threats like overfishing are addressed, “you end up with a more boring world.”
Research
The world in a tidepool
October 27, 2025

Ninety years of tidepool observations in Monterey Bay have taught Stanford researchers about climate change impacts on the ocean and the evolution of science.
Marine biology
Slow progress on burying power lines leaves U.S. grid vulnerable to extreme weather
October 27, 2025

Analysis by Stanford researchers shows how strategic investment in undergrounding power lines could shave hours off some long lasting blackouts tied to extreme weather.
Power grid

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At the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, we are fueled by optimism, hard work, creativity, and a clear mission. Learn more about our community and subscribe to our newsletter.