Seth Thomas
Seth is a PhD student in the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, where he studies how large animals shape the ecosystems they inhabit and influence landscape resilience under global change. His research integrates ecology, conservation biology, and environmental policy to understand how megafauna contribute to ecosystem function and how these dynamics can inform effective biodiversity conservation and nature restoration strategies.
Seth holds a Master of Science in Biodiversity, Conservation, and Management from the University of Oxford, where his thesis evaluated global best practices for large carnivore translocations and reintroductions to inform nature restoration efforts. He earned dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Ecology and Environmental and Energy Policy from Oregon State University.
Prior to Harvard, Seth worked with the National Wildlife Federation, IUCN, and the Nature-based Solutions Initiative at the University of Oxford, contributing to projects spanning renewable energy policy, sustainable wildlife trade, and nature-based climate solutions. He also co-founded GYBN USA, the U.S. chapter of the Global Youth Biodiversity Network—the official youth constituency to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity—where he works to advance youth participation in global conservation policy.
The Salata Institute
The Salata Institute supports interdisciplinary research that leads to real-world action, including high-risk/high-reward projects by researchers already working in the climate area and new endeavors that make it easier for Harvard scholars, who have not worked on climate problems, to do so. Faculty interested in the Climate Research Clusters program should note an upcoming deadline for concepts on April 1, 2024.