The Climate, Earth, and Society Distinguished Fellows Program aims to engage renowned experts and practitioners in our educational, research, and impact-focused mission.
As the world’s leading institution for interdisciplinary education, research, and impact work at the intersection of climate, Earth, and society, Columbia is uniquely positioned to host eminent figures, such as former top government officials, internationally acclaimed journalists, pioneering activists, influential entrepreneurs, lauded academics, and leading industry experts, who have made an impact in their fields.
The Climate, Earth, and Society Distinguished Fellows Program anticipates bringing five or more Fellows per semester to actively engage with faculty, researchers, and students to share their real-world experiences and deliver partnerships to support the Climate School’s strategy for enabling innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and impactful societal engagement.
We welcome your applications and nominations using the form below.
Program Details
Each Fellow will engage in a mix of structured and flexible activities tailored to their expertise and interests, such as:
- Hosting high-level convenings with support from Climate School staff
- Affiliating with existing Columbia centers to advance shared goals
- Joining the Global Impact Lab as expert partners
- Engaging with students and faculty through roundtable discussions, guest lectures, networking meetings, and public and private convenings.
- Participating in public events, including the Climate School’s Signature Speaker Series and engage with the Climate School’s communications staff for media opportunities and speaking appearances.
- Teaching an elective course (likely 1.5-credit course that meets for 7 consecutive weeks). If teaching, they will need to be appointed as an Adjunct Professor.
- Collaborating with Climate School faculty and researchers on research areas related to their expertise and experience. If engaged in active research (e.g., publishing a collaborative project, working on a grant, etc.), they will need to be appointed as an Adjunct Senior Research Scholar/Scientist.
While each Fellow’s experience will be unique, all will benefit from affiliation with Columbia University, including access to campus resources, a university ID and email, and participation in meaningful campus activities to further their own goals and activities.
In return, Fellows are expected to deliver at least one public program per semester, hold networking meetings with students, and select one core activity (listed above) as the focus of their engagement. This is a non-compensated role unless the Fellow takes on a teaching or research appointment, and the term of commitment is a minimum of one semester, with the option for renewal.
Fellows will be nominated or may apply directly to the program via a rolling admissions process through our online application form below. The Dean of the Climate School, in consultation with a faculty advisory group, will review applications and nominations and make selection decisions at least one month prior to each semester’s start.
This program will offer a formal University affiliation, but will not constitute an academic appointment unless separately arranged or linked with a teaching or research role. Each Fellow will be paired with a faculty or researcher mentor and supported by a designated administrator in the Office of Faculty Affairs. This office will coordinate connections with departments such as Communications and Academic Affairs, and manage all onboarding and operational logistics.
For questions, please contact Esteban Andrade, Assistant Director of Faculty Affairs at the Climate School, by emailing him at [email protected].
Application and Nomination Form
We invite you to apply or nominate candidates for the Climate, Earth, and Society Distinguished Fellows Program at the Climate School. Applications and nominations are accepted throughout the year on a rolling basis. All applications and nominations will be kept in a pool for consideration.