Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability

09/03/2026

Planets that orbit very close to their stars are expected to be airless, but scientists have recently observed planets that defy this theory.

How is this possible? Stanford researchers offer an explanation that could inform the search for life beyond our solar system.

Stanford researchers have developed a model that explains how lava-covered worlds close to their stars can retain their atmospheres. The new theory could inform the search for life beyond our solar system. 

09/01/2026

Edward Apraku has a clear philosophy behind his research: If it doesn’t help people, what’s the point?

A recent civil and environmental engineering PhD grad, he has studied ways to recover and reuse nutrients from wastewater, with an emphasis on developing solutions that communities can implement.

Recent graduate Edward Apraku, PhD ’26, combined environmental engineering with a commitment to community impact during his time at Stanford. 

08/31/2026

Dozens of Stanford scholars are working on new ideas to address heat stress, wildfire recovery, groundwater depletion, crop disease, and other urgent sustainability challenges.

Support from the Stanford Sustainability Accelerator, based in the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, aims to help them quickly move promising research into real-world solutions.

Learn about the new projects selected for Accelerator support ⬇️

The Stanford Sustainability Accelerator, based in the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, has awarded nearly $5 million to teams across 22 departments working to advance climate resilience, clean energy, ocean health, water access, and more.

08/28/2026

How much worse was a particular extreme weather event because of climate change?

Maxine Burkett, professor of environmental social sciences, recently joined Science Friday to discuss how answering this question could help keep communities safe by holding planners, policymakers, and major emitters accountable.

We know that climate change causes weather to be more extreme, more often. Attribution science tries to nail down exactly by how much.

08/24/2026

Research spotlight: cool roofs ❄️ In Makassar, Indonesia, scientists are studying the health benefits of cooling indoor temperatures in informal settlements by painting metal roofs bright white.

Learn about the project and other ways Stanford researchers are working to keep people and buildings cool during heat waves: stanford.io/4hMbm9t

📸: Angelica Stewart

08/21/2026

“As an engineer, my job is to bridge the gap between the theoretical and practical – taking equations of math and science and applying them to real-world solutions.

Ever since I was young, I’ve been drawn to this intersectional approach to problem-solving, often guided by combinations of math, science, art, and advocacy.”

Meet Laura Kubiatko, PhD student in civil and environmental engineering.

🔗 stanford.io/4xBXd3l
📸 Rod Searcey

Civil and Environmental Engineering is a joint department of the Doerr School of Sustainability and the Stanford School of Engineering.

As an engineer, my job is to bridge the gap between the theoretical and practical.

08/21/2026

“As an engineer, my job is to bridge the gap between the theoretical and practical – taking equations of math and science and applying them to real-world solutions.

Ever since I was young, I’ve been drawn to this intersectional approach to problem-solving, often guided by combinations of math, science, art, and advocacy.”

Meet Laura Kubiatko, PhD student in civil and environmental engineering.
🔗 stanford.io/4xBXd3l
📸 Rod Searcey

Civil and Environmental Engineering is a joint department of the Doerr School of Sustainability and the Stanford School of Engineering.

As an engineer, my job is to bridge the gap between the theoretical and practical.

08/20/2026

As oceans warm, Stanford marine biologist Steve Palumbi and collaborators in Palau are using a low-cost approach to find heat-resistant corals and improve reef restoration.

In July, Vox’s Benji Jones traveled to Palau, an island nation in the western Pacific, to see a low-tech approach to saving coral reefs for himself.

The corals Benji saw had all gone through what you might call a fitness test. In a lab on shore, marine scientists exposed them to extreme heat and scored them for their ability to tolerate warming.

Corals that appeared resistant to heat may have more of a fighting chance at surviving as ocean temperatures rise.

These sorts of fitness tests for corals are inexpensive and unexpectedly low-tech: They take place in cheap, store-bought picnic coolers, like what you might bring to the park. But by helping researchers identify the hardiest corals, these tests could help overcome one of reef restoration’s greatest challenges: rising temperatures.

So while subjecting corals to hot water in a plastic cooler may sound ridiculous, to truly help coral reefs endure, we may actually need to reengineer them.

Read more: https://www.vox.com/climate/497730/coral-reef-climate-change-restoration-palau?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=dhfacebook&utm_content=app.dashsocial.com%2Fvoxdotcom%2Flibrary%2Fmedia%2F709961038

📸: Jesse Alpert for Vox

08/19/2026

Researchers have found an unexpected use for earthquake-monitoring equipment: measuring hurricanes.

The discovery opens a new path for understanding and predicting how storms will evolve and intensify.

A new way to measure hurricanes using earthquake-monitoring equipment could improve storm forecasting, support public safety, and enhance understanding of Earth’s atmosphere.

08/18/2026

Meet Yaochun Yu, new assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering.

Stanford School of Engineering