Dr. Heal studied Physics and Economics at Cambridge, from which he obtained a first class honors B.A. and a doctorate, and then taught at Cambridge, Sussex, Essex, Stanford, Yale and Princeton, and held a Fullbright Professorship at the University of Siena. Dr. Heal has acted as Managing Editor of the Review of Economic Studies and has acted on the Editorial Boards of many other journals. In the 1970s he founded a London-based consulting firm, and in the 1980s a firm providing systems for telecommunications and data processing to the international securities business. He was a Commissioner of the Pew Oceans Commission and a Director of the Beijer Institute of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, is a Director of the Union of Concerned Scientists , a Fellow of the Econometric Society and the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, and a member of President Sarkozy’s Commission on the Measurement of Economic Performance and Social Progress. He is Past President of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, a life Fellow and recipient of that organization’s 2004 Award for Publication of Enduring Quality for his 1979 book (with Dasgupta) "Economic Theory and Exhaustible Resources."

Dr. Heal has made many contributions to economic theory and the application of mathematical techniques in economics. One of Dr. Heal’s current research interests is the interaction between society and its natural resource base. Dr. Heal has been working to formalize and operationalize the concept of sustainability and develop an interdisciplinary group of social and biological scientists committed to research on the interface between the biological and social sciences. Recent books on this include “Valuing the Future” and “Nature and the Marketplace.” Dr. Heal’s other research fields include the management of risks by financial markets, and especially the securitization of catastrophic risks and analysis of the systemic risks associated with the growth of derivative markets. Recently Dr. Heal has worked on airline security and on corporate social responsibility, and has developed a course on CSR entitled “Business and Society: Doing Well by Doing Good?” His latest book, “When Principles Pay: CSR and the Bottom Line” is published by Columbia Business School Press.

Geoffrey Heal is Garrett Professor of Public Policy and Corporate Responsibility at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business. He is also Professor of International and Public Affairs in the School of International Affairs and Director of the Center for Globalization and Sustainable Development of Columbia’s Earth Institute. He has served as Senior Vice Dean of Columbia Business School.

Don Melnick is a magna cum laude graduate in anthropology and history from New York University, and a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He received his doctorate in physical anthropology, focusing on molecular genetics, from Yale University, and then joined the Department of Anthropology at Columbia University. He was subsequently jointly appointed to the Department of Biological Sciences, and currently holds his primary appointment in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology.

Professor Melnick designed and spearheaded the formation of the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology (E3B), thus creating in 2001 the first truly new Columbia Arts and Sciences department in over half a century. Professor Melnick is founding Executive Director of the Center for Environmental Research and Conservation (CERC), a position he held from 1994-2006. CERC is a biodiversity conservation education, training, and research consortium that includes Columbia University, the American Museum of Natural History, The New York Botanical Garden, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and Wildlife Trust. More recently, Professor Melnick held the position of co-Chair of the U.N. Millennium Task Force on Environmental Sustainability, and was lead author of the Task Force report, Environment and Human Well-being: a practical strategy for achieving environmental sustainability.

Professor Melnick also maintains an active scientific research career. For over 30 years, he has used molecular genetics to explain aspects of the ecology, behavior, evolution and conservation of vertebrates. This research has spanned organisms from frogs to elephants, and continents from Central and South America to Asia and Africa. He has published over 120 articles, book chapters, abstracts and reports that describe the results of research on (1) the impact of social organization on the level and distribution of genetic variation in wild populations of primates and other mammals; (2) the degree to which different portions of a species’ genome track different aspects of its evolutionary history; and (3) the ways in which genetic data can be used to assess the current demographic and genetic health of a species and its populations, as well as develop management plans to ensure its future existence.

Professor Melnick is a popular teacher, having created one of Columbia's largest science courses for non-science majors. He was chosen as one of the first four professors to lead Columbia’s new science core course, “The Frontiers of Science.” He received Columbia's Hettleman Award for Outstanding Teaching and Service, was a Fellow of the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University.

In addition to his work published in numerous technical journals and books, he has been covered by such popular media as The New York Times, The International Herald Tribune, Time Magazine, the Discovery Channel, CBS Radio, and National Public Radio.

In the public policy arena, Professor Melnick has advised several heads of state and has presented his vision for environmentally and socially sustainable economic growth to the UN Forum on Forests, the UN Commission on Sustainable Development, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the World Bank, the foreign ministers and secretaries of state of the 79 member countries of the Africa-Caribbean-Pacific Alliance, and most recently to a special joint session of Congress of the Dominican Republic. A summary of this vision as it relates specifically to forests was published as a New York Times Op Ed article for Earth Day 2006.

Natalia Agüeros-Macario holds a double B.A. in Classics and Political Science from Hunter College. She manages the day-to-day activities of the CEES office while providing support to the Center's co-Director and COO. She is responsible for developing and implementing practical office-wide programs to promote environmentally green practices. Prior to joining CEES, Mrs. Agüeros-Macario worked several years in government as an administrator, community liaison, and organizer, both in North and Latin America. She also worked as a consultant for nonprofit organizations on projects such as structural development, special events planning, fundraising and grant writing. Mrs. Agüeros-Macario has a personal commitment to environmental issues and plans to pursue an M.P.A. in Environmental Science and Policy at Columbia.

James Danoff-Burg holds a B.A. in botany from the University of Michigan, an M.A. and Ph.D. in biology (entomology specialization) from the University of Kansas, and was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Vermont and a Samuel Research Fellow at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City before coming to Columbia in 1997. He currently has honorary appointments at the Center for Environmental Research and Conservation, the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology at Columbia University, the American Museum of Natural History, and Barnard College. As Director of the Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Economic Growth Program in the Dominican Republic (ESSEG-DR) Dr. Danoff-Burg is working with all stakeholders involved in the area to improve the well-being of impoverished people by improving the condition of the environment in which they live. In doing so, poor people will be better able to sustainably convert the natural wealth that surrounds them into economic wealth. More generally, his research and teaching interests are in the effects of human activities on biodiversity. He has several ongoing research projects in addition to those in the ESSEG-DR program, including the influence of design and management of urban habitats on biodiversity in New York City, the impact of road intensity and trail impact on biodiversity in the Black Forest of New York, and determining the influence of marine artificial reef substrates on native and exotic species in reef communities in the Dominican Republic.

Henry Fernandez holds a B.A. in Political Science from Binghamton University where he was a member of the Ronald E. McNair Scholar Program. He has been living and working in Miches, Dominican Republic for the past year as the CEES Program Officer for the ESSEG Initiative. Mr. Fernandez has worked to assess community needs and the identification of potential sustainable projects, collaboration with community groups, NGOs and governmental agencies. As an undergraduate he completed an internship with the New York City Council where he worked in the Washington Heights community for City Councilmember Miguel Martinez. As a Ronald E. McNair scholar at Binghamton University he conducted research under the guidance of Dr. David Cingranelli to uncover the relationship between international financing and human rights practices in the Caribbean and Latin America. Mr. Fernandez is a Dominican-American who has received academic training both in the U.S. and the Dominican Republic. He plans to pursue a career in sustainable development.

Rebecca Johnson holds a B.A. in European History and an M.A. in Conservation Biology, both from Columbia University. She currently directs education and training initiatives at CEES, ranging from secondary school programs through graduate level training and professional development. Ms. Johnson comes to CEES from her previous position as Director of Continuing Education at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Prior to that she spent over 6 years developing, coordinating, and managing continuing education and non-degree programs at the Center for Environmental Research and Conservation (CERC) at Columbia University. She also has several years experience in educational media, both in the US and in France. She has been fortunate to build unique offerings that serve a diverse and motivated range of students, and that promote conservation values to the broader public.

Amy O’Donnell received her B.A. in Business Administration from Villanova University and accrued graduate credits in Botany and Biology at The University of Rhode Island while finishing her teaching certificate in Biology. Presently, Amy is finishing her MA in Science Education at New York University. Before joining CEES, Amy worked as an Instructional Specialist in science for the Department of Education, a science coach and teacher for public middle/secondary schools, and spent nine years in the Education Department at the American Museum of Natural History.  Amy was one of the founding teachers at The New York City Museum School and a master teacher and staff developer for the Museum’s popular Science & Nature Program. Amy joined CEES with a deep commitment to establishing a connection between people and their environment to promote environmental literacy and respect for the natural world.
 

Alisa Sackler holds a B.A. in Sociology from Columbia. She provides general administrative support to the program officers and directors at CEES. Before joining CEES, Ms. Sackler worked at the Columbia School of Social Work for fifteen years. Ms. Sackler’s goal is to contribute to environmental efforts through her administrative support of CEES' programs both large and small.

Faith Wamalwa holds a B.S. in Accounting from William Paterson University. She assists CEES in meeting its overall objective of reconciling economic and environmental goals by coordinating financial operations. Prior to joining CEES, Ms. Wamalwa worked as a junior accountant where she focused and developed her analytical and organizational skills. Ms. Wamalwa is originally from Kenya and dedicated to positively contributing to environmental issues and the world at large.

Warfield holds a B.A. in philosophy from New York University, a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School, and a PhD in biological anthropology from Columbia University. Growing up in the construction and real estate development business, Jim Warfield worked as a laborer, construction superintendent, project manager, managing partner, investor, and general counsel. While at the University of Chicago Law School, Jim contributed to the first Comprehensive Zoning Plan as assistant to the general counsel of the NYC Planning Commission; upon graduating he became a Teaching Fellow at Boston College Law School. As a vice-president of Bedford-Stuyvesant Development & Services Corporation, Jim was a member of a team that guided the planning and redevelopment of the Commercial Center of Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration. Jim served as chair of the Sierra Club’s Long Island chapter and as president of a Westchester neighborhood association. Jim has been an active proponent and opponent of development in Long Island, Westchester, and Connecticut. Most recently Jim earned his doctorate at Columbia in Biological Anthropology studying primate behavior in Kenya, Gibraltar, and Cayo Santiago, PR and taught Behavioral Biology of the Living Primates for four years at Columbia as well as courses on conservation in the CERC Certificate Program. Jim continues to be active in primate behavior studies as a volunteer assistant professor at the Institute for the Study of Child Development at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, UMDNJ.

Peter Bearman is Director of the Lazarsfeld Center for the Social Sciences, the Cole Professor of Social Science, and Co-Director of the Health & Society Scholars Program. A recipient of the NIH Director's Pioneer Award in 2007, Bearman is currently investigating the social determinants of the autism epidemic. Current projects also include an ethnographic study of the funeral industry and, with support from the American Legacy Foundation, an investigation of the social and economic consequences of tobacco control policy.

A specialist in network analysis, he co-designed the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health and has used the data extensively for research on topics including adolescent sexual networks, networks of disease transmission, and genetic influences on same-sex preference. He has also conducted research in historical sociology, including Relations into Rhetorics: Local Elite Social Structure in Norfolk, England, 1540-1640 (Rutgers, 1993). He is the author of Doormen
(University of Chicago Press, 2005).

Mark Cane holds his B.A. and M.A, from Harvard, and his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. With Lamont colleague Dr. Stephen Zebiak, Dr. Cane devised the first numerical model able to simulate El Niño.  In 1985 this model was used to make the first physically based forecasts of El Niño.  Over the years the Zebiak-Cane model has been the primary tool used by many investigators to enhance understanding of ENSO. Dr. Cane continues to work on El Niño prediction, and has also worked extensively on the impact of El Niño on human activity, especially agriculture and health. His efforts over many years were instrumental in the creation of the International Research Institute for Climate and Society, where he is Chief Physical Scientist. In recent years Dr. Cane’s research interests have often focused on paleoclimate problems, from the Pliocene to the last millennium, and the light they shed on future climate change.  Dr. Cane has written over 200 papers on a broad range of topics and has served on numerous international and national committees. In 1992 Dr. Cane received the Sverdrup Gold Medal of the American Meteorological Society, and in 2003 he received the Cody Award in Ocean Sciences from Scripps Institution of Oceanography.  He is a fellow of the American Meteorological Society; the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Geophysical Union, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. 

Raymond D. Horton received his B.A. from Grinnell College, J.D. from Harvard Law School, and Ph.D. in Political Science from Columbia University. A member of Columbia Business School faculty since 1970, he served as Executive Director of the Temporary Commission on City Finances from 1975 to 1977. After returning to Columbia, he founded the Setting Municipal Priorities Project with Charles Brecher, and co-edited, with Brecher, the ten volumes in that series.
Between 1980 and 1998, Horton held the positions of Research Director and President with the Citizens Budget Commission. The Commission is a public advocate of responsible financial management in New York City and New York State. Dr. Horton’s writings include numerous books, articles, and reports in the field of State and local finance and politics. His most recent book, Power Failure: New York City Government in the Post-1960 Era, was published by Oxford University Press in 1993.
Dr. Horton is the Frank R. Lautenberg Professor of Ethics and Corporate Governance at the Columbia Business School, where he also serves as Director of the Social Enterprise Program. In addition to his academic responsibilities, Horton has served on a number of private and nonprofit boards.

Darcy B. Kelley is Professor of Biological Sciences at Columbia University where she co-founded the interdepartmental graduate program in Neurobiology and Behavior. Her research focuses on vocal communication in South African clawed frogs using approaches ranging from field studies in Africa to molecular genetics and neurophysiology in the laboratory at Columbia. In 2002, Professor Kelley was named Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor, an award that acknowledges an effort of Columbia's Science faculty to establish a new core course for all entering College students, Frontiers of Science. This award was renewed in 2006 and supports an online resource for science educators based on Frontiers. Among her awards are the Jacob Javits Award for Neuroscience Research from the National Institutes of Health (twice) and the Forbes Lectureship at the MBL. Dr. Kelley has a long-standing interest in the public perception of science through portrayal in plays, movies and television. She serves as scientific consultant for the Ensemble Theatre/Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Science & Technology Project which commissions, develops, and presents new works that delve into how we view and are affected by the scientific world.

Upmanu Lall holds his B. Tech. from the Indian Institute of Technology, and his M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Texas. Professor Lall has over 20 years of experience as a hydrologist and has been the principal investigator on a number of research projects funded by the USGS, the NSF, the USAF, NOAA, USBR, DOE and State of Utah and Florida agencies. These projects have covered water quantity and quality and energy resource management, flood analysis, groundwater modeling and subsurface characterization, climate modeling, and the development of statistical and mathematical modeling methods. Before joining Columbia University, he was a professor at the University of Utah and Utah State University. At Columbia University, he was the first recipient of the Alan and Carol Silberstein Chair, and is now an Alan and Carol Silberstein Professor of Engineering, and Senior Research Scientist at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society.