The course provides a deep dive into statistical foundations and insights for multi-source, multi-phase, and multi-resolution learning, interwoven with case studies on using AI and Earth Observations (EO) for sustainable developments (e.g., global poverty).

Auto is undergoing a technological revolution with the shift to electric vehicles (EVs) and the development of autonomous vehicles.  Decarbonizing private transportation is essential to achieving climate goals, with transportation overall representing 28% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.  EV sales are now growing rapidly: in 2022, battery electric vehicles (EVs) represented about 22% of new vehicle sales in China, 15% in the EU and 5% in the U.S. Forecasts suggest EVs will represent close to 50% of new vehicle sales in the U.S. by 2030 and higher in China and Europe. The EV transition has far-reaching repercussions from emissions to macroeconomic impacts to national security and poses substantial challenges in the rapid development of new supply chains.  In this seminar, we will study the intersection of EVs, the energy transition, environmental science, policy, and economics. The current pace of change is dramatic but has roots going back 50 years to early U.S. environmental regulation and efforts to reduce dependency on Middle East oil; auto has been a critical element in trade policy back to the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Policy is pivotal today, in the U.S. and overseas, in terms of determining the pace of EV adoption, how supply chains develop, and how fast they evolve.  The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) enables faster EV adoption through tax credits for EV production and purchases.  Technological progress, especially in battery technology, will be critical in the path forward.  We will analyze a range of EV issues including those highlighted above as well as charging, health impacts, equity, and international market differences. 

In the last thirty years greenhouse gas emissions have almost doubled. It now seems unlikely that we will be able keep global heating below 2°C, suggesting that it is no longer a question of preventing dangerous heating but of living with it – even as we attempt to limit further damage.

This course explores the international law of the sea, a body of public international law that governs the rights and duties of states in their use of the oceans and seas.

How do individual pursuits of happiness, self-esteem, positive emotions, and meaning in life shape attitudes toward social issues? What personal well-being strategies benefit the greater good of society, and which may hinder societal progress? Is ignorance bliss? In this course, we will delve into psychological research at the intersection of positive psychology and social justice to explore these questions across prominent socio-political issues including climate activism, gender equality, and racial justice.

Students will explore building strategies that can improve indoor air quality, help prevent the spread of airborne infectious disease, reduce exposure to toxic materials, improve thermal resilience, and support overall well-being, while also examining the role buildings play in our energy system, the cascading health impacts of associated air pollution and climate change, and building design and technologies that can support climate mitigation, climate adaptation, and climate resilience.

Principles governing energy generation and interconversion. Current and projected world energy use. Selected important current and anticipated future technologies for energy generation, interconversion, storage, and end usage.

In this perilous moment in human history, the world desperately needs leaders with the courage, drive and hardball political skills to fight climate change and help restore the natural world. Environmental leaders must also recognize how marginalized communities suffer disproportionately from pollution and climate change. Leadership is difficult in any enterprise, but it is especially difficult for environmental leaders who face opponents with vastly more power and money.

This seminar will operate as a lab and explore entrepreneurial efforts to bridge climate change and human rights by examining live issues and pressing problems in the field. In recent years, both entrepreneurial human rights advocates and environmentalists have pushed the boundaries of traditional legal and policy doctrines to address the climate crisis and its impact on human society.

This course explores the varied roles that international lawyers and international institutions have played in shaping responses to climate change, the competing legal projects and strategies that they have developed to do so, and the shifting geopolitical contexts in which this work is taking place.

An introduction to environmental policy in the US with a focus on the Environmental Protection Agency. We will explore how policy is made at the federal and state levels and consider the actors who design policies, including legislators, agencies, advocates, regulated companies, and the courts.

"Risks, Opportunities, and Investments in an Era of Climate Change" offers a comprehensive learning experience for students interested in entrepreneurship, leading and advising companies, and investing. With a focus on the challenges and opportunities posed by climate change, this course prepares students to succeed in a rapidly changing economic landscape and to make a positive impact on the world.