FACULTY

Adjunct Professor of International and Public Affairs | University Director, Environmental Health Safety and Risk Management, The City University of New York

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BA, MA, Brooklyn College, 1979; M.Phil., Columbia University, 1981; PhD, 1985.

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Adjunct Professor of Public Affairs at SIPA since 1986; University Director, Environmental Health Safety and Risk Management, at CUNY since 2003; environmental and management consulting for commercial, industrial, and government clients, since 1986; policy and management positions at New York City’s Department of Sanitation, Board of Education, and Mayor’s Office, prior to 1986. His research and consulting interests include Environmental Health and Safety, Risk Management and Business Continuity, Sustainability and LEED, and Management and Organizational leadership. He is a LEED Accredited Professional, a member of the Editorial Board of Environmental Quality Management, and writes and lectures regularly.

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COURSES
Summer – ENVP U9229 Workshop in Applied Earth Systems Management I
Fall – ENVP U6234 Sustainability Management

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Adjunct Associate Professor of International and Public Affairs

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MPA, Columbia University; Ph.D., Urban Planning, Columbia University.

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Nancy served as Assistant Dean at SIPA and as the Associate Director at the School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation.  She is currently the Executive Director of the Center for Environmental Research and Conservation (CERC).  At CERC, Dr. Degnan spearheads initiatives and programming in education, training and applied research STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). Her research and writing has focused on community-based initiatives in education, sustainable development and redevelopment, as well as microfinance and enterprise development. She is also a member of Columbia Business School’s Deming Board, Chazen Institute.

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COURSES
Spring –  ENVP U9232 Workshop in Applied Earth System Policy

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Adjunct Associate Professor, School of International and Public Affairs

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MPA, Environmental Sciences and Policy Program, Columbia University, 2007; 
BA, Environmental Sciences and Policy, Duke University.

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Rebecca Myers Koike, an MPA-ESP alum,  is the Senior Director of Operational Planning and Services at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Before joining AMNH, Koike worked as a senior budget analyst at the New York City Office of Management and Budget, overseeing portions of the capital and operating budgets of the Department of Parks and Recreation.

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COURSES
ENVP U8201 Financial Management

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Adjunct Lecturer, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University
Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health

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BS, Civil Engineering, Villanova University, 1991; M.S., Environmental Engineering Rutgers University, New Brunswick, 1996; M.P.H., Environmental Health Science, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 2007

 

Lecturer, Mailman School of Public Health (Risk Assessment) 2009 – present; Lecturer, for topic’s course at MSPH: Arsenic’s cost-benefit of treatment and risk reduction (2001, 2002, 2009); Licensed Professional Engineer, State of New York; Senior Project Engineer, HDR Engineering, Inc. 1999 to present. Main areas of expertise include the assessment and characterization of contaminated sites and chemical impacts; regulatory compliance; assessing chemical exposures and risks to human health and the environment; and developing approaches for risk reduction and clean-ups at contaminated, Brownfields, hazardous waste and other site settings. Previous work experience includes: Intern – NYCDOH (Lead Poisoning and Prevention, 1997; Disease Surveillance, 1998); Environmental Engineer, Dresdner Robin Environmental Management, Inc. 1994-1997; Engineering Associate, Environ Corporation, 1991 – 1994.

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COURSES
Summer – ENVP U6221 Risk Assessment and Environmental Toxicology

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Associate Director for Curriculum, MPA in Environmental Science and Policy
Senior Lecturer, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University

 

BA Biology, Swarthmore College, 1983; MS Ecology Cornell University, 1990; Ph.D., History of Science, Cornell University, 1994. Senior Lecturer & Researcher, Columbia University, 2003-present; Lecturer, University of Washington, 1998-2003; Assistant Director, Institute for Social, Economic, and Ecological Sustainability, University of Minnesota, 1996-1998; Lecture, University of Minnesota, 1995-1998.

 

Tjossem’s teaching and research interests are on the intersection of science and society, the history of biology, particularly 20th century; history of ecology and agriculture; marine science, and development of environmental movements.

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COURSES
Spring – ENVP U9232 Workshop in Applied Earth Systems Policy Analysis

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Adjunct Associate Professor of International and Public Affairs 

 

Lamont Research Professor in the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory

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B.A. Double major in Chemistry and Environmental Studies, University of California at Santa Cruz- 1986;

Ph.D. Geological Sciences, Columbia University, NY- 1996

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Steven Chillrud is a Lamont Research Professor at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and Director of the Exposure Assessment Facility Core of Columbia University's Center for Environmental Health in Northern Manhattan. He describes himself as an environmental geochemist interested in public health research. Much of his research is focused on the role of particles in the transport, behavior and fate of chemical contaminants. His air pollution work includes understanding the sources, behavior and exposure pathways of airborne contaminants as well as designing and testing new air monitoring devices, either to be used at fixed indoor and outdoor locations or to be worn by people. Much of his work is done in collaboration with public health investigators to work on both local and international health issues.

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COURSES
Summer – ENVP U6220 Environmental Chemistry

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Lecturer, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology

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BA, Goucher College; PhD, Harvard University, Department of Government

 

Lecturer and Adjunct Professor, Columbia University, 1989-present, in the fields of public and environmental ethics in programs of the School of International and Public Affairs, the School of Professional Studies, and the Earth Institute. Previously taught American political philosophy in Columbia’s Political Science Department and at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Associate of the Centre for Business and Public Sector Ethics in Cambridge, England. Visiting Scholar in Ethics, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2012.  Served earlier as a Legislative Aide in the Massachusetts State Senate. Research interests include environmental and sustainability ethics, public ethics, cross-sector corruption, organizational leadership and management, and transformative learning.

 

COURSES
Fall –  ENVP U6225 Ethics, Values, and Justice

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Adjunct Assistant Professor of International and Public Affairs; Associate Research Scholar in the Earth Institute

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BS, Economics, University College London 2006; MPA, Columbia University 2007; Ph.D., Economics and Education, Teachers College, Columbia University, 2013

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Dong is the Director of the Earth Institute China Initiative at Columbia University. Dr. Guo also serves as the Associate Director of the Research Program on Sustainability Policy and Management at Columbia University’s Earth Institute, where he is an associate research scholar. Dr. Guo’s research interests include labor economics, sustainable development, sustainability education, sustainability metrics, and environmental policy, and he has conducted significant research on China, including evaluation of sustainability capacity building programs and impact of environmental regulation on jobs. He is currently leading a research project on urban sustainability metrics with the China Center on International Economic Exchanges currently and co-writing a book on the role of finance in advancing sustainability.

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COURSES
Fall – ENVP U8213 Economics for Environmental Policy I

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Adjunct Assistant Professor, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University
Lecturer and Director of Undergraduate Studies, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University

 

BS, Cornell University 1996; PhD Rutgers University 2005

 

In addition to teaching, research, and advising at Columbia, Dr. Palmer advises the US Fish and Wildlife Service, NYC Parks, NY State DEC, NJ DEP, and several NGOs on conservation, restoration, and ecological management issues. His research interests are primarily in plant community ecology, with emphases on conservation, restoration, and ecosystem function.

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COURSES
Summer – ENVP u6111 Principles of Ecology, ENVP u6112 Urban Ecology, ENVP u9229 Workshop in Applied Earth Systems Management I
Fall – ENVP U9230 Workshop in Applied Earth Systems Management II

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Lamont Associate Research Professor in the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory

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B.S., Nanjing University, China – 1994; M.S., Nanjing University, China – 1997; Ph.D., Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY – 2004

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Dr. Yan’s research is focused on two areas: characterizing exposure of pollutants and investigating adverse health effects of these pollutants in urban environments and apportioning contamination sources and assessing environmental impact related to human activities. At the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Dr. Yan has established an organic geochemistry laboratory from scratch with the ability to extract organic contaminants from environmental samples (waters, soils, sediments, aerosols) and biological samples (e.g., fish tissue and human exhaled breath condensate), to conduct purification and separation of organics of interest from the complex mixtures and matrices, and to identify and quantify those compounds using modern chromatography techniques. He has continued research in Environmental Geochemistry (e.g., source apportionment in the NY metropolitan area) and expanded into other areas, including tracing spilled oil in Gulf of Mexico, bioaccumulation and bioavailability of PAHs, bioremediation of contaminated soil/sediments, and the relationships between indoor and personal exposures to these contaminants and adverse respiratory outcomes related to the exposure among children living in NYC and Beijing, China.

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COURSES
Summer – ENVP U6116 Hydrology

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Adjunct Assistant Professor, School of International and Public Affairs; Lecturer, School of Professional Studies; Senior Science Advisor, The Mayday Fund

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BS, Microbiology and Public Health, Michigan State University 1976; VMD, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine 1980, Internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, Animal Medical Center 1981; Residency in Zoological Medicine, Wildlife Conservation Society 1987; MPA, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University 2002.

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Dr. Bob Cook is a veterinarian who has spent his career in wildlife health, conservation, academia and foundation philanthropy. Presently he works as the Senior Science Advisor at the Mayday Fund, a foundation dedicated to the alleviation of human pain.  Prior to that he served as Program Director for Conservation and Basic Medical Research at the Helmsley Charitable Trust.  For a number of years, he worked for the Wildlife Conservation Society serving as the Chief Veterinarian and then as the General Director. In this role he led a team responsible for the operations of 5 New York zoological parks including the Central Park, Queens and Prospect Parks Zoos, the New York Aquarium and the Bronx Zoo. He has worked extensively in rural international settings and on global policy issues focused on the health of people, domestic animals, and wildlife. His work with Helmsley included support of community-based conservation, protected area establishment and management, biodiversity, marine conservation, food security, environmental justice and the sustainability of natural resources. Dr. Cook has served as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at SIPA from 2004 to 2007 and then from 2013 to present. He has also served as a Lecturer in the School of Professional studies in 2012 and then again beginning in 2017.  

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COURSES

Summer – ENVP U9229 Workshop in Applied Earth Systems Management I

Fall & Spring- SUMA PS5200 Integrative Capstone Workshop

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Adjunct Associate Professor, School of International and Public Affairs

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PhD, Economics, Stony Brook University

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Dr. Eren is a senior economist at New York City Comptroller’s Office. At the Comptroller’s Office, he is responsible for conducting research and providing analysis of significant New York City economic issues with particular attention to their fiscal and policy implications as well as forecasting New York City’s economic outlook. His current research focuses on variety of public policy issues affecting New York City residents including homelessness reduction initiatives, local immigration policies, aging population of the City and its challenges among others. He has published papers and reports on economic well-being, income and wealth inequality, housing markets, migration and immigration among others. Previously he worked as a supervising analyst at New York City Office of Management and Budget (OMB), research scholar at Levy Economics Institute of Bard College and a visiting assistant professor at Hamilton College.

 

COURSES
ENVP U8213 Microeconomics & Policy Analysis II
ENVP U6310 Quantitative Techniques and Systems Analysis in Policymaking and Management I
ENVP U6230 Economics of Sustainable Development  

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Adjunct Associate Professor

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BS, Brandeis University 1992; MPA, Columbia University 1998.

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Lloyd Kass is Vice President of Market Development and Regulatory Strategy for Franklin Energy and AM Conservation Group, a longstanding national leader in the delivery of flexible energy efficiency and grid optimization programs for utilities and government clients in 30 US states. For more than two decades, Lloyd has developed and implemented clean energy policy and programs within utilities and government, as both a public servant and a consultant. Lloyd joined Franklin Energy in March 2021 to lead the company’s engagement with government, utilities, and a range of stakeholders to grow the business through the acceleration of climate-forward, clean energy policy.

Lloyd joined SIPA’s adjunct faculty in 2019.

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COURSES
Fall – ENVP U9230 Workshop in Applied Earth Systems Management II

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Lecturer of International and Public Affairs
Deputy Vice President of Strategic Engagement at Columbia University

 

B.S. in Economic and Political Geography, the London School of Economics; M.S. in Journalism, Columbia University

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Louise serves as the Deputy Vice President of Strategic Engagement at Columbia University. Working closely with the Executive Vice President of Alumni and Development she is responsible for developing campaign programming, creating partnerships with outside organizations, and developing community wide programs to foster awareness of and support for university endeavors. Prior to joining the Office of Alumni and Development, she spent eleven years at Columbia’s Earth Institute; most recently as Director of the Office of Academic and Research Programs responsible for incubating new education and research programs wherein she assisted with the development of seven new environmental and sustainable development degree programs overseeing all areas of their marketing and communications. Her background in media and journalism and she has written for several publications including Newsweek.com, Forbes magazine, Upside Today, Fortune Small Business, Vogue and The New York Times.

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COURSES
Summer – ENVP U9229 Workshop in Applied Earth Systems Management I
Fall – ENVP U9230 Workshop in Applied Earth Systems Management I
Spring – ENVP U9232 Workshop in Applied Earth Systems Policy Analysis

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