Salata Institute Hosts Second Semesterly Student Meeting 

In a jam-packed two-hour convening, undergraduate and graduate students from across the University and Salata Institute team members shared updates and continued charting a path forward for climate collaboration at Harvard.  

The convening kicked off with a presentation by Professor Naomi Pierce on how research on butterflies is leading to bio-inspired climate solutions. Following Professor Pierce’s presentation, George Sarrinikolaou, Executive Director of the Salata Institute, gave updates on the Salata Institute’s activities since the most recent student convening in October, including:  

• The launch of the Salata Institute’s new website, including the first version of a “student hub” that Salata is continuing to develop as a centralized source for information on student-facing climate and sustainability opportunities, events, and more.  
• The creation of the student organization funding program and funding of 6 student projects 
• The creation of the Harvard Climate Internship Program  
• Support for the student-led Emerging Climate Leaders Symposium on May 8^th  
• The creation of the Harvard Climate Symposium on May 9^th and Harvard Climate Action Week 

• The launch of six interdisciplinary faculty-led research cluster projects aimed at driving real-world climate solutions  

Students provided valuable feedback to the Salata Institute during this meeting and were encouraged to work together to develop recommendations for how the Institute should structure its work with undergraduate and graduate students. 

Several student groups gave presentations, including:  

• The Harvard Climate Coalition, which serves as a community hub for undergraduate climate leaders, translating climate ideas into action. Get involved in the Coalition’s Intersectional Earth Week Event. Interested students can contact this group at harvardclimatecoalition@gmail.com. 
• Harvard Undergraduates for Environmental Justice, which educates and mobilizes members of the Harvard community to protect the Earth’s resources and ecosystems. Interested students can contact this group at huej.info@gmail.com. 

• Climate in Action, a student group that approaches issues of sustainability and climate change through the lens of design. They promote sustainable design practices through education, advocacy, and action. Join by contacting mltuysal@gsd.harvard.edu. 

The Salata Institute will continue to host semesterly gatherings of representatives of climate and sustainability focused student organizations across Harvard. If you are a member or representative of a climate or sustainability-focused student group at Harvard University and would like to be involved in future convenings of student organizations, please email salatainstitute@harvard.edu.