On Friday, December 1^st, a steady stream of students from every School at Harvard wound through Gutman Hall, meeting representatives from The World Bank, Ceres, NRDC, the U.S. Department of Energy, the Green Corps, and dozens of other employers in climate and sustainability. The event, hosted by the Salata Institute, FAS Mignone Center for Career Success, and every Harvard School, attracted more employers than any other Harvard career fair this year and over one thousand registrants. 

“The event confirmed what conversations with students, faculty, staff, and employers suggested,” said Dustin Tingley, Professor of Government and Chair of the Harvard Standing Committee on Climate Education. “Our community wants to lean in on climate and sustainability opportunities that lead to meaningful careers in successful organizations.”  

The campus response to the Expo bodes well for those efforts. “Any time I help to put on an event I have that ‘are people going to come’ feeling,” said Tingley. “I remember walking to the event on the street, and looking down through the windows into the Expo area and seeing that it was packed. I knew immediately that the Salata team had hit a home run over Green Monster.” 

For Jim Stock, Vice Provost for Climate and Sustainability at Harvard University and Director of the Salata Institute, events like these represent a key component of the University’s contribution on climate and sustainability. “These students represent a new generation of climate leadership,” said Stock. “The field of ‘climate professionals’ is really taking off. It’s great that we can leverage Harvard’s connections to help them get started on rewarding and impactful careers driving climate solutions.” 

Throughout the four-hour event, the 59 participating organizations could be heard highlighting roles and initiatives in areas ranging from clean tech to finance to food systems. “The quality of employers in this room and the conversations I’m hearing speak to the level at which these students and alumni can contribute on climate and sustainability,” said Leslie Hubbard, Program Manager for the Salata Institute and a key organizer of the event. “These students have so much to offer in leadership and expertise – we just need to make the connections.” 

More Climate and Sustainability Career Opportunities to Come 

The event built on a slate of climate career development opportunities offered by the Salata Institute and its partners this year, including an ongoing speaker series, internship programs for graduate and undergraduate students, and a new Student Hub, which collates climate funding and opportunities from across the University.  

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