Alexis Abramson Appointed Next Dean of the Columbia Climate School – State of the Planet

Columbia University’s Interim President Katrina A. Armstrong has announced the appointment of Alexis Abramson as the next Dean of the Columbia Climate School. An expert in sustainable energy technology and advanced energy research with extensive experience in academic administration, Professor Abramson is currently Dean of the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth. She will begin her tenure at Columbia on January 1, 2025.

At Dartmouth, Professor Abramson has overseen an expansive portfolio as Dean of the Thayer School of Engineering, a post she has held for the last five years. Chief among her priorities has been promoting a human-centered approach to engineering education, grounded in rigorous and cutting-edge research that encourages cross-discipline collaboration and translation to society. She has focused on growth and excellence in faculty hiring, experiential learning, graduate programs, research, and entrepreneurship, as well as on building a strong and inclusive community. Much of the work accomplished has required establishing partnerships with other schools across campus. In recognition of her many achievements, she was appointed to serve as dean for a second, four-year term in 2023.

Prior to her tenure at Dartmouth, Professor Abramson was the Milton and Tamar Maltz Professor of Energy Innovation at Case Western Reserve University, with appointments in the departments of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. She was also a director of the school’s Great Lakes Energy Institute, where she focused on creating sustainable energy technology solutions. In that role, she found great success in securing government funding and developed innovative plans to enhance research, industry partnerships, and entrepreneurship. During her tenure at Case Western, she took leave to serve in the administration of President Obama from 2011-2013, as chief scientist and manager of the Emerging Technologies Division at the US Department of Energy’s Building Technologies Program. While on sabbatical from 2018-2019, Professor Abramson held a position as a technical advisor to Breakthrough Energy Ventures, established by Bill Gates to invest in startup companies with significant potential to mitigate climate change. 

Professor Abramson’s research has focused on novel techniques for thermal characterization of nanostructures, the design and synthesis of unique nanomaterials for use in alternative energy applications, virtual energy audits for building energy efficiency, and strategies to accelerate technology commercialization at universities and research institutions. She has also written extensively about gender imbalances in academic settings and the importance of taking a human-centered and multidisciplinary approach to education and research, particularly in STEM and related fields. Professor Abramson is the recipient of a BS and an MS in Mechanical Engineering from Tufts University and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.

“Columbia has a longstanding and enduring record of academic leadership and excellence in climate and sustainability, which are so important to our collective future and to the wellbeing of our environment,” Interim President Armstrong wrote in her message to the University community. “This new appointment—and the naming of Daniel Zarrilli as the University’s first-ever Chief Climate & Sustainability Officer—positions us well to build on these strengths, expand them into new and exciting areas, and keep the University ahead of the curve on this profoundly urgent issue.”

Interim President Armstrong also expressed her sincere thanks to Interim Dean Jeffrey Shaman who has done an outstanding job leading the School, and will continue to do so through the fall semester. He has achieved a great deal, including launching new degree programs and developing a strategic and financial plan for the school. “Through Jeff’s talent for building strong relationships with faculty, colleagues at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, and across schools at Columbia, the Climate School has grown and prospered. I am so grateful for his contributions to the Climate School and to the University,” Armstrong expressed in her message.