State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

alumni profiles5

  • Resiliency Strategies to Sustain Businesses and Livelihoods

    Resiliency Strategies to Sustain Businesses and Livelihoods

    Sustainability Management alum Krista Eichenbaum (’16) moved from Toronto to attend the MSSM program to better address resiliency challenges in cities. She is currently Project Analyst and Manager at a women-owned engineering consulting firm, specializing in civil engineering, urban planning, and sustainability.

  • Sustainability Bonds: a Personal and Professional Network

    Sustainability Bonds: a Personal and Professional Network

    Energy efficiency, corporate sustainability reporting, and investor relations piqued Charlotte Peyraud’s interest and became her focus, and ultimately, her career.

  • Entrepreneurial Alum Creates Healthier Living Spaces

    Entrepreneurial Alum Creates Healthier Living Spaces

    “In the mainstream market, sustainability is seldom a selling feature. … This makes it challenging for sustainable manufacturers to thrive and provides little incentive for traditional manufactures to green their materials and processes. The market will change when mainstream consumers demand sustainable goods.”

  • Thinking Beyond a Job with ‘Sustainability’ in the Title

    Thinking Beyond a Job with ‘Sustainability’ in the Title

    Sustainability Management alum James Ossman (’15) is the Global Operations Manager at Etsy. He believes the MSSM program has been the difference between being interested in and passionate about sustainability, and being able to lead sustainability initiatives with authority.

  • Improving Buildings to Reduce Energy Demand

    Improving Buildings to Reduce Energy Demand

    Maya always had an interest in sustainable cities and passive building design. Because buildings make up a third of the world’s energy consumption, she believes that focusing on improving our buildings can have a significant effect on our global energy demand.

  • MPA-ESP Alum Serves as Earth Institute Postdoctoral Fellow

    MPA-ESP Alum Serves as Earth Institute Postdoctoral Fellow

    For Justin Mankin, the MPA in Environmental Science and Policy program helped expose his passion for environmental science. Mankin is currently serving as an Earth Institute postdoctoral fellow and research scientist, where he is focusing on climate variability.

  • ESP Alum Focuses on International Development and Conservation

    ESP Alum Focuses on International Development and Conservation

    Ashley Toombs, a 2015 graduate of the MPA in Environmental Science and Policy program, recently joined BRAC USA, a poverty alleviation and international development organization founded in the 1970s in Bangladesh and now operating in 12 countries in Asia and Africa.

  • The Challenging Question: What is Sustainable Development?

    The Challenging Question: What is Sustainable Development?

    “Ever since I started studying sustainable development, the big question has always been how to define and speak about it. I have come to notice more and more how important this question is as I spend my days conversing with different people on the topic.”

  • Recent MS Graduate Brings Sustainability to L’Oreal

    Recent MS Graduate Brings Sustainability to L’Oreal

    Master of Science in Sustainability Management graduate Tara Helms (’15) has a background in supply chain management in the energy sector and was drawn to the program as a way to shift her focus towards sustainability. Throughout her time in the program, Tara took advantage of various networking and certification courses and served as a…

Banner: Climate Week NYC 2025, September 21-28, 2025
  • Resiliency Strategies to Sustain Businesses and Livelihoods

    Resiliency Strategies to Sustain Businesses and Livelihoods

    Sustainability Management alum Krista Eichenbaum (’16) moved from Toronto to attend the MSSM program to better address resiliency challenges in cities. She is currently Project Analyst and Manager at a women-owned engineering consulting firm, specializing in civil engineering, urban planning, and sustainability.

  • Sustainability Bonds: a Personal and Professional Network

    Sustainability Bonds: a Personal and Professional Network

    Energy efficiency, corporate sustainability reporting, and investor relations piqued Charlotte Peyraud’s interest and became her focus, and ultimately, her career.

  • Entrepreneurial Alum Creates Healthier Living Spaces

    Entrepreneurial Alum Creates Healthier Living Spaces

    “In the mainstream market, sustainability is seldom a selling feature. … This makes it challenging for sustainable manufacturers to thrive and provides little incentive for traditional manufactures to green their materials and processes. The market will change when mainstream consumers demand sustainable goods.”

  • Thinking Beyond a Job with ‘Sustainability’ in the Title

    Thinking Beyond a Job with ‘Sustainability’ in the Title

    Sustainability Management alum James Ossman (’15) is the Global Operations Manager at Etsy. He believes the MSSM program has been the difference between being interested in and passionate about sustainability, and being able to lead sustainability initiatives with authority.

  • Improving Buildings to Reduce Energy Demand

    Improving Buildings to Reduce Energy Demand

    Maya always had an interest in sustainable cities and passive building design. Because buildings make up a third of the world’s energy consumption, she believes that focusing on improving our buildings can have a significant effect on our global energy demand.

  • MPA-ESP Alum Serves as Earth Institute Postdoctoral Fellow

    MPA-ESP Alum Serves as Earth Institute Postdoctoral Fellow

    For Justin Mankin, the MPA in Environmental Science and Policy program helped expose his passion for environmental science. Mankin is currently serving as an Earth Institute postdoctoral fellow and research scientist, where he is focusing on climate variability.

  • ESP Alum Focuses on International Development and Conservation

    ESP Alum Focuses on International Development and Conservation

    Ashley Toombs, a 2015 graduate of the MPA in Environmental Science and Policy program, recently joined BRAC USA, a poverty alleviation and international development organization founded in the 1970s in Bangladesh and now operating in 12 countries in Asia and Africa.

  • The Challenging Question: What is Sustainable Development?

    The Challenging Question: What is Sustainable Development?

    “Ever since I started studying sustainable development, the big question has always been how to define and speak about it. I have come to notice more and more how important this question is as I spend my days conversing with different people on the topic.”

  • Recent MS Graduate Brings Sustainability to L’Oreal

    Recent MS Graduate Brings Sustainability to L’Oreal

    Master of Science in Sustainability Management graduate Tara Helms (’15) has a background in supply chain management in the energy sector and was drawn to the program as a way to shift her focus towards sustainability. Throughout her time in the program, Tara took advantage of various networking and certification courses and served as a…