Columbia Climate School celebrates its first class

Columbia Climate School celebrates its first class

Columbia Climate School celebrated its first class day today with a ceremony honoring the school’s 2022 graduates.These students are first Group graduation Recently launched Climate School.

After an intense year of interdisciplinary climate education, the school’s 86 students MSc in Climate and Society Finished their course and put on a light blue cap and gown for the class day ceremony.

“It’s really exciting to have our first cohort of Climate School students graduate today,” said Alex Halliday, the founding dean of the Climate Institute, while speaking to the graduating class at Columbia’s Miller Theater. “This event marks the end of your studies at Columbia University. More importantly, it marks the beginning of the important work you will be doing in the world, understanding how the climate system works, the challenges it presents, and thinking about what needs to be addressed way of planning.”

The ceremony highlighted not only the daunting challenges of addressing the climate crisis, but the potential for every graduate and every individual to contribute.

Environmental Justice Advocate Peggy Shepard gave a Keynote Speech In it, she discusses the disproportionate impact of climate change on communities of color, indigenous peoples, and low-income communities, and how the world can move away from fossil fuels without addressing inequality and systemic racism.

“Climate change is arguably one of the most significant social and political challenges of this century,” she said. “But you all know it. The question is: What would you do? … Those of us who are blessed with education, skills and experience, and even power, we must be role models. We must be change-makers with justice, collaboration, and ethical leadership. … We can all be change-makers. That’s our challenge to you today.”

There is no doubt that this challenge could not have fallen on more willing and capable shoulders.

Although students still have Summer Internship To be completed prior to official graduation, Columbia Climate School’s first class will also celebrate their achievements at a school-wide Commencement Ceremony for the Class of 2022 on Wednesday, May 18.

Dean of the Climate Institute gathers with environmental justice advocate Peggy Sheppard, center. Deans, left to right: Alex Halliday, Ruth DeFries, Maureen Raymo and Jason Bordoff

Year in Review

While this may be the first course to graduate from the Columbia Climate School, the MSc in Climate and Society has Production Influential graduate Since its launch in 2005 by climate scientists Mark Cane.

Although many things have not changed since the program entered the Climate Schools umbrella – such as the program’s interdisciplinary focus on understanding and addressing climate change – being part of the Climate School brings new opportunities and challenges for the program.

This year’s climate and society program has grown rapidly, with student numbers nearly tripling to 86.

“​​​The popularity of the climate school and the urgency of the climate crisis have both contributed to a surge in interest in the program,” explained Mingfang Ding, one of the program’s co-directors.

Cynthia Thomson, director of the Graduate Program at the School of Climate, noted that the program has not only grown in size but also in importance.

“We went from a small program that existed in the corner of Shermerhorn Hall to now the only educational program at the Climate School. So it’s really interesting to see so much attention given to the students and the program.”

These changes are not without some growing pains. Opening a new school, tripling enrolments and pandemic precautions such as social distancing and wearing masks meant the new school year was off to a rocky start, Thomson said. But things started to come together in the spring as students and teachers could have more face-to-face interactions.

“Despite the increase in class size, by offering core courses in multiple sections, we were able to keep class sizes small as before,” Ding said. “Smaller class sizes help keep students engaged in the core curriculum.”

As part of the Climate School, the program also allows the program to hire Gerald Cotiangco, a career development officer, “who has been providing excellent professional help to our students in understanding the next steps in life,” Ting said.

“This is the first time our students have received very specific, tailored professional development help, and it has worked very well,” explains Thomson. “Gerald is great, basically a one-person careers office, meeting them one-on-one and helping them find internships. A lot of them, more than in years past, have found internships, so in the summer After the internship, they will continue to do these jobs.”

Being part of the Climate School also means that the program can design its own electives to offer students in addition to the curriculum at other schools in Columbia. This means that the climate context can be “built into” the curriculum, rather than relying on students to bring their own climate shots. The program introduces several unique electives, including climate mobility, strategic communication on climate change, post-disaster economic and housing recovery in the United States, and climate change and disaster management.

Thomson added that being a part of the school means “we have all these top researchers and practitioners that we can tap into to make it the flagship climate master’s program not just in Colombia, but across the country. “

continue to evolve

For the upcoming academic year, the Climate and Society Program will expand its list of electives. Climate Change Mitigation will be offered in fall 2022, and a climate justice curriculum is in development.

Based on student feedback, Ding said the program is working to increase its focus on climate justice and to integrate the theme of justice into the program’s entire curriculum, rather than covering it in just one class.

She added that the program is also exploring developing focus areas where students can focus on three to five subject-specific courses that may become “tracks” in the future. This will enable students to specialize while still emphasizing the interdisciplinary nature of the program.

Whatever the future holds, Thomson hopes the program will remain vibrant. “Climate change is a rapidly changing topic, so as the dial changes, things refocus and certain things become more important. The Columbia University project will respond positively and really leverage industry professionals who are doing this work in the real world .”

Thomson praised the students’ resilience in the face of COVID, as well as their patience and constructive feedback as the project took hold.

“I think it’s amazing that they will forever be the first students in the climate school,” she said. “It’s the badge they’ll wear later.”