State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

summer field placement

  • Student Helps Engage Youth in Nepal’s Earthquake Recovery

    Student Helps Engage Youth in Nepal’s Earthquake Recovery

    Karolina Walęcik, a recently graduated MPA-DP student from the class of 2016, spent her summer field placement on a post-earthquake aid transparency project with the Accountability Lab in Kathmandu, Nepal.

  • Connecting the Dots with a Summer Placement in Lesotho

    Connecting the Dots with a Summer Placement in Lesotho

    The Masters of Public Administration in Development Practice “offered a program that allowed me to explore potential paths in a career of development by having the flexibility to connect the dots with my previous experience.”

  • In the Middle East, Discovering the Aspirations of Youth

    In the Middle East, Discovering the Aspirations of Youth

    “I was on the ground collecting data in Jordan, and worked with data collection teams in Syria and Palestine. Within Jordan this involved traveling across the country to speak with Syrian youth refugees, as well as Jordanian and Palestinian youth. I was deeply struck by how candid the respondents were.”

  • Taking Flight (Remotely) over East Africa

    Taking Flight (Remotely) over East Africa

    “Despite an early love affair with technology encouraged by my computer scientist, Silicon Valley-based parents, even I had a hard time envisioning a world in which I would spend a summer flying fixed wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) over pastoral East Africa.”

Blue banner with kids and Earth photos. Text: "Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Open House, Saturday, October 17, 2026, 10am-4pm.

On Saturday, October 17, 2026 from 10am to 4pm, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Open House—our biggest, best science fun and discovery event of the year—will take place on our beautiful campus in Palisades, NY. Mark your calendar and join us for this free, family-friendly celebration of science! RSVP Today!

  • Student Helps Engage Youth in Nepal’s Earthquake Recovery

    Student Helps Engage Youth in Nepal’s Earthquake Recovery

    Karolina Walęcik, a recently graduated MPA-DP student from the class of 2016, spent her summer field placement on a post-earthquake aid transparency project with the Accountability Lab in Kathmandu, Nepal.

  • Connecting the Dots with a Summer Placement in Lesotho

    Connecting the Dots with a Summer Placement in Lesotho

    The Masters of Public Administration in Development Practice “offered a program that allowed me to explore potential paths in a career of development by having the flexibility to connect the dots with my previous experience.”

  • In the Middle East, Discovering the Aspirations of Youth

    In the Middle East, Discovering the Aspirations of Youth

    “I was on the ground collecting data in Jordan, and worked with data collection teams in Syria and Palestine. Within Jordan this involved traveling across the country to speak with Syrian youth refugees, as well as Jordanian and Palestinian youth. I was deeply struck by how candid the respondents were.”

  • Taking Flight (Remotely) over East Africa

    Taking Flight (Remotely) over East Africa

    “Despite an early love affair with technology encouraged by my computer scientist, Silicon Valley-based parents, even I had a hard time envisioning a world in which I would spend a summer flying fixed wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) over pastoral East Africa.”