Profile
Daniel Schrag is the Sturgis Hooper Professor of Geology, Professor of Environmental Science and Engineering at Harvard University, and Professor of Public Policy at Harvard University. His primary appointment is in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. He also co-directs the Program on Science, Technology and Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School.
Dan’s interests include climate change, energy technology, and energy policy. He has studied climate change over the broadest range of Earth’s history, including how climate change and the chemical evolution of the atmosphere influenced the evolution of life in the past, and what steps might be taken to prepare for impacts of climate change in the future. He helped to develop the hypothesis that the Earth experienced a series of extreme glaciations, called “Snowball Earths” that may have stimulated a rise in atmospheric oxygen and the proliferation of multicellular animals. He is also interested in how we can use climate events in the geologic past to understand our current climate challenges. Dan has worked on a range of issues in energy technology and policy including advanced technologies for low-carbon transportation fuel, carbon capture and storage, and risks and opportunities of shale gas.
He was named a MacArthur Fellow in 2000 and served from 2009 to 2017 on President Obama’s Council of Advisors for Science and Technology (PCAST), contributing to many reports to the President including energy technology and national energy policy, agricultural preparedness, climate change, and STEM education.
Expertise
Geochemical oceanography
Paleoclimatology
Stable isotope geochemistry
Salata Institute Sponsored Projects
The Salata Institute is committed to supporting research that promises to make a real-world impact on the climate crisis. The Climate Research Clusters Program and Seed Grant Program deliver on this commitment by funding new and interdisciplinary climate research that address the many dimensions of the climate challenge.
Climate Research Cluster: Climate Adaptation in South Asia
Outside professional activities
Outside Professional Activities
In the spirit of transparency and integrity, Salata Institute Faculty Associates disclose publicly their key professional activities outside of Harvard University. The activities disclosed below are for the most recent reporting period, as defined by University policy. Some of the activities may be paid, some may be unpaid, and others may be in exchange for expense reimbursement only.
Outside Professional Activities For Dan Schrag
Organizations:
Relationships:
Kobold Metals Inc
Consulting
Leading Authorities Inc.
Speaking engagement, invited lecture, or presentation
Mattiq (formerly Stoicheia)
Membership on a scientific or other advisory board
Potential Energy Coalition
Fiduciary Board Membership
Santa Fe Institute
Membership on a scientific or other advisory board
Santa Fe Institute
Research or teaching appointment
Santa Fe Institute
Speaking engagement, invited lecture, or presentation
Scripps Institute of Oceanography
Prizes or Awards
The Carbon Endowment
Fiduciary Board Membership