The New York Climate Exchange, a first-of-its-kind organization working to implement innovative climate solutions in New York City and across the globe, on Nov. 9 Stephen Hammer as its founding chief executive officer.

Hammer is a global climate policy expert who has served as top climate advisor at the World Bank for the past decade. In his new role as CEO of , Hammer will lead a first-ever consortium of more than 45 partner organizations committed to solving the most pressing climate challenges of our time.

The 91探花 is a core member of The New York Climate Exchange, which launched in April. Several 91探花faculty members are already involved with the initiative, which brings together universities, governments and businesses to address climate change action and adaptation. Plans include an interactive living laboratory with 400,000 square feet of green-designed building space, incorporating research labs, classroom space, exhibits, greenhouses, mitigation technologies and housing facilities.

, dean of the 91探花 College of the Environment and board member of The Exchange, co-chaired the CEO search committee along with Chaouki T. Abdallah, vice chair of the board of directors and executive vice president for research at the Georgia Institute of Technology

鈥淲e could not be more pleased to welcome Dr. Stephen Hammer, who embodies The Exchange鈥檚 mission,鈥� Tolstoy and Abdallah said. 鈥淗e has an international network and unrivaled New York City experience, and he鈥檚 uniquely qualified to be a 鈥楥onvener-in-Chief鈥� for experts everywhere at a time when humanity needs it most.鈥�

Eric Adams, mayor of New York, and the Trust for Governors Island selected The New York Climate Exchange 鈥� known as The Exchange 鈥� following a two-year competitive process seeking an educational and research partner to anchor a cross-sector center dedicated to developing and scaling climate solutions for New York City and beyond. The Exchange will eventually be housed in a $700 million state-of-the-art facility on Governors Island, set to open in 2028.

With experience driving climate policy in New York City and internationally, Hammer is well positioned to convene partners across sectors to advance climate solutions in New York City. Most recently, Dr. Hammer spent a decade at the World Bank as senior policy advisor on urban-scale climate solutions, global climate policy and finance issues, where he spearheaded key climate partnerships with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the UN Secretary General鈥檚 team, and the G20, and supported efforts to mainstream climate change into all facets of the World Bank鈥檚 lending operations.

previously held faculty posts at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning, Columbia University鈥檚 School of International and Public Affairs, and the Pratt Institute, where he specialized in urban energy systems and policy, often with a specific focus on New York City. He also co-founded and co-directed the鈥�, an international consortium of researchers interested in climate change from an urban perspective, and served on Mayor Bloomberg鈥檚 Energy Policy Task Force.

鈥淯nder our administration, New York City is becoming the global leader in developing solutions for climate change while creating thousands of good-paying green jobs for New Yorkers,鈥� Adams said. 鈥淲ith the appointment of Dr. Hammer as the CEO of the first-in-the-nation New York Climate Exchange, our city takes one step closer to opening this hub of future innovation, bringing together our leading research and educational institutions, and creating the economic and academic opportunities New Yorkers deserve. His academic expertise and proven record of leadership in New York City and across the globe make Dr. Hammer uniquely positioned to serve as the Exchange鈥檚 first leader.鈥�

Comprised of world-class organizations across academia, business and community, The Exchange鈥檚 partner network fosters collaboration to drive innovation and implement impactful solutions. With 14 academic and corporate organizations and over 30 community entities from environmental justice, research, and government organizations in New York City, partners have begun to work together to advance climate education, research, job training, public programs and commercialization to prepare communities to respond to climate challenges. These efforts are aided by initial investments of a combined $100 million from the Simons Foundation and Simons Foundation International, and $50 million from Bloomberg Philanthropies.

鈥淭here is truly no organization like this across the globe. Worldwide, too many sectors 鈥� the business community, nonprofits, government, academics and more 鈥� are working in silos. The Exchange is not just another institute 鈥� it鈥檚 part think tank, part do-tank 鈥� serving as a training ground for the climate leaders of tomorrow and an incubator for technology and market entrepreneurs. It鈥檚 meant to innovate and have an impact, to defend science, and to make New York City a living laboratory for international solutions. Climate change is going to reverberate across the world and every aspect of society, and working with our world-class partners, we鈥檙e going to bring people together to deliver real impact on this collective, existential challenge,鈥� Hammer said.

Partners of The Exchange include:

• • • Boston Consulting Group
    • Georgia Institute of Technology
    • Good Old Lower East Side
    • IBM
    • Pace University
    • Pratt Institute
    • Stony Brook University
    • 91探花
    • Duke University
    • 惭辞辞诲测鈥檚
    • New York University
    • Rochester Institute of Technology
    • SUNY Maritime College
    • The City University of New York
    • University of Oxford

Adapted from the New York Climate Exchange . For more information, contact ClimateExchange@skdknick.com, or Tolstoy at coenvcom@uw.edu. 听

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and the Trust for Governors Island on April 24 that a consortium led by Stony Brook University will found and develop a world-leading climate solutions center on Governors Island in the city鈥檚 harbor. The will be a first-of-its kind international center for developing and deploying dynamic solutions to our global climate crisis.听

The 91探花 is among the core partners of the consortium, along with Georgia Institute of Technology, Pace University, the Pratt Institute, the Good Old Lower East Side community group, Boston Consulting Group and IBM. Other academic partners include Duke University, Rochester Institute of Technology and the University of Oxford.听

鈥淲e are very proud to bring our University鈥檚 deep and diverse strengths in climate and clean energy research and innovation to the New York Climate Exchange,鈥� said 91探花President Ana Mari Cauce. 鈥淎s the only core partner on the West Coast, we are excited to leverage our regional and global relationships to accelerate efforts to address and adapt to the impacts of climate change. This work is vital and urgent for the health and survival of our people and our world.鈥�听

In addition to convening the world鈥檚 leaders and climate experts, the exchange will host green job training and skills-building programs and partner with local institutions on addressing the social and practical challenges created by climate change.听

鈥淭he 91探花serves as a global hub for innovative research into climate change action and adaptation, and the resources and relationships provided by the Climate Exchange will help us grow our impact even further,鈥� said Maya Tolstoy, Maggie Walker Dean of the 91探花College of the Environment. 鈥淭his is a truly exciting partnership, and it presents a fantastic opportunity for us to collaborate with a diverse group of peers across academia, business and community organizations.鈥�听

Tolstoy will serve as the UW鈥檚 representative on the New York Climate Exchange board. The initiative will bring together universities, governments and businesses to address climate change action and adaptation.听

The New York Climate Exchange with 400,000 square feet of green-designed building space, including research labs, classroom space, exhibits, greenhouses, mitigation technologies and housing facilities. The facility will feature:听

• An all-electric-powered campus with onsite solar electricity generation and battery storage with capability to serve the local grid听
• All non-potable water demand met with rainwater or treated wastewater collection听
• 95% of its waste diverted from landfills听
• Climate-resilient design of new buildings, all raised to the design flood elevation of 18 feet above sea level听

鈥淲e are honored, excited, and proud to partner with the City of New York to build this historic center that will cement New York City as the world leader on climate change, the most pressing issue of our time,鈥� said Stony Brook University President Maurie McInnis.听

The Exchange鈥檚 activities will include:听

• A Research and Technology Accelerator that will source and nurture ideas, projects and new ventures dedicated to solving the climate crisis听
• Workforce development opportunities for communities disproportionately affected by climate change听听

• Partnerships and collaborative grant opportunities with community-based organizations already working to mitigate the impacts of climate change听
• Academic and community programs that prepare students at every level for careers focused on climate change solutions and environmental justice, encompassing hands-on learning, a semester 鈥渁broad鈥� on Governors Island, fellowship and internship programs and continuing education听

“The 91探花Clean Energy Institute is proud to bring our expertise in advancing clean energy research, training and stakeholder engagement to the New York Climate Exchange,” said Daniel Schwartz, director of the 91探花Clean Energy Institute and Boeing-Sutter Professor of Chemical Engineering. “Working as part of this global team, we see great opportunities to accelerate the energy transition through equitable deployment strategies.”听

91探花faculty members who worked with 91探花leadership in the initial planning efforts include Shuyi Chen, 91探花professor of atmospheric sciences; Dargan Frierson, 91探花associate professor of atmospheric sciences; Jessica Kaminsky, 91探花associate professor of civil and environmental engineering; Jonathan Bakker, 91探花professor of environmental and forest sciences; and Himanshu Grover, 91探花assistant professor of urban design and planning.

鈥淎lthough built environments are intensely place-based, the systems that they influence are not bound by geography,鈥� said Ren茅e Cheng, dean of the 91探花College of Built Environments. 鈥淟inking our college’s research and teaching on carbon, water and socio-environmental factors with the New York Climate Exchange will facilitate positive impact at a national and global scale.鈥�听

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the 91探花 are bringing together climate, sustainability and resilience leaders, and educators representing a cross section of colleges and universities from around the country, with federal agency leaders for a virtual forum on climate change.

The , co-hosted by the UW, will take place Wednesday, March 8, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Pacific Time (1 鈥� 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time).

Speakers and panel discussions will showcase how innovative actions on climate change currently employed on college campuses can further benefit the surrounding communities and beyond. Themes will include:

• Making campuses more sustainable and resilient, including pathways to achieving net-zero emissions.
• Ensuring that students have the knowledge and skills to lead in the clean industries of tomorrow and to build and maintain the green and resilient infrastructure we need.
• Providing climate services to states, municipalities and Indigenous communities.
• College and university campuses serving as proving grounds for new climate solutions and strategies to bring them into the innovation ecosystem.

鈥淎s climate change becomes a daily reality on our planet, ensuring that our colleges and universities continue to lead the way on sustainability is more urgent than ever,鈥� said speaker Maya Tolstoy, Maggie Walker Dean of the 91探花College of the Environment. 鈥淚’m excited to partner with the White House and so many exceptional institutions from across the country on this effort to better coordinate our work.鈥�

The livestream is open to the public. For more information, see the registration link .

For more information, contact Victor Balta at balta@uw.edu.

Dennis Hartmann, professor of Atmospheric Sciences, has agreed to serve as interim dean in the from July 1 until Maya Tolstoy begins as the Maggie Walker Dean on Jan. 1, 2022.

听previously served as interim dean of the College when it formed in 2009 until July 1, 2010, when the outgoing dean, Lisa Graumlich, began her term. As an atmospheric scientist who studies the atmosphere鈥檚 role in climate variability and change, and how the atmosphere interacts with the ocean in a changing climate, Hartmann鈥檚 principal areas of expertise are atmospheric dynamics, remote sensing, and mathematical and statistical techniques for data analysis. He has been an Aldo Leopold Leadership Fellow and has received numerous awards throughout his career, including the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal and the Carl-Gustaf Rossby Research Medal from the American Meteorological Society. Hartmann is an elected member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences.

At the , Lauren Pressley and Denise Pan have agreed to share the duties of dean until Sept. 1, when Simon Neame begins his term. Pressley will hold the formal title of interim dean, while she and Pan will share the business title of co-interim deans.

As associate dean for research and learning services, is responsible for strategic visioning, policy and program development, management, and overall excellence in Access Services, Information Technology Services and Digital Strategies, Learning Services, Research Services, and Scholarly Communication and Publishing. Prior this, she was an associate dean of the 91探花Libraries and director of the 91探花Tacoma campus library. Pressley also was the director of听Learning Environments for Virginia Tech University Libraries and held several roles related to instruction and technology at Wake Forest University鈥檚 library.

is the associate dean of University Libraries for Collections and Content, leading the areas of Acquisitions and Rapid Cataloging Services, Cataloging and Metadata Services, Collection Analysis and Strategy and Preservation Services. Previously, she was the associate director of technical services for the Auraria Library, administered by the University of Colorado Denver, which also serves the Metropolitan State University of Denver and the Community College of Denver. Prior to that, Pan was the public services librarian at the Johnson & Wales University, Denver Campus.

Tolstoy succeeds , who is stepping down at the end of the 2020-2021 academic year to serve as president-elect of the American Geophysical Union.

Currently a professor at Columbia University鈥檚 Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Tolstoy is a marine geophysicist specializing in seafloor earthquakes and volcanoes.

鈥淧rofessor Tolstoy has extensive experience in both scientific and academic leadership, including important work on issues of gender, racial, and ethnic diversity,鈥� Richards said. “Her commitment to experiential learning and interdisciplinary approaches to addressing critical issues such as climate change will serve the College and the University well. We could not be more pleased to have her join us next year to lead the College of the Environment.”

Tolstoy has served as the interim executive vice president and dean of the faculty of Arts and Sciences at Columbia, a role in which she oversaw five schools with more than 3,000 faculty and staff, and 11,000 full-time students, across 28 departments. She also has led faculty governance groups, including the Columbia Senate鈥檚 Commission on the Status of Women and the primary faculty governance committee of Arts and Sciences at Columbia. In those positions, she steered initiatives on developing a faculty voting process, and initiated a variety of studies on issues impacting faculty.

In addition, Tolstoy led a two-year effort to document the experiences of women and BIPOC faculty across Arts and Sciences at Columbia, which resulted in a public equity report that was the subject of a in the Chronicle of Higher Education.

鈥淭he 91探花College of the Environment is unparalleled in the combined breadth, depth and strength of its environmental scholarship. It has a complete pipeline from foundational research through applied research and solutions,鈥� Tolstoy said. 鈥淪et in one of the best research universities in the world, with vital and strong ties to the community, it is exceptional in its ability to meet the urgency of the moment.听There has never been a more important time for this work, and I am thrilled and honored to join the extraordinary team of faculty, staff and students as the Maggie Walker Dean of the College of the Environment.鈥�

The namesake deanship, recently created by Seattle philanthropist Maggie Walker, elevates the importance of climate change, increases the visibility of the College and supports recruitment of talented faculty, students and staff. Tolstoy is the inaugural dean to hold this position.

Tolstoy has led 18 research expeditions at sea as chief or co-chief scientist and has 66 peer-reviewed scientific publications, including 10 in the journals Science or Nature. She also has led or co-led over $22 million worth of federally funded research.

The recipient of the Wings Worldquest Sea Award honoring women in exploration, Tolstoy also was a finalist for NASA鈥檚 2009 Astronaut selection. She recently completed a six-year term on the National Academy Committee on Solid Earth Geophysics and was honored by the American Geophysical Union as the Birch Lecturer in 2016.

Born in New York, and growing up mostly in Scotland, Tolstoy earned her bachelor鈥檚 degree in geophysics from the University of Edinburgh and her doctorate from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego. Tolstoy鈥檚 interest in marine seismology was ignited during an undergraduate internship,听which included the opportunity to sail on a research vessel, an experience that propelled her career as a scientist, teacher and academic leader.