Jennie Stephens
Director, School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs; Dean's Professor of Sustainability Science and Policy
Education
PhD, 2002, Caltech, Environmental Science & Engineering
Jennie C. Stephens is the Dean’s Professor of Sustainability Science and Policy and Director of Northeastern’s School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs. Her research, teaching, and community engagement focus on social and political aspects of renewable energy transformation and equitable, just responses to the climate crisis. She is an expert on institutional and cultural innovation in the energy sector, including gender diversity, energy democracy, and energy justice. Her work explores the dangers of investing too heavily in technological fixes for climate mitigation and climate adaptation. She advocates for centering social justice, racial justice and economic justice in climate and energy policy and investing more in social and organizational innovation.
Professor Stephens’ most recent book, Diversifying Power: Why We Need Antiracist, Feminist Leadership (Island Press, 2020), inspires collective action by elevating the stories of innovative diverse leaders who are linking climate and energy with jobs and economic justice, health and food, transportation and housing. Before Northeastern, Professor Stephens was on the faculty at the University of Vermont (2014-2016) and Clark University (2005-2014). She earned her PhD at Caltech in environmental science & engineering and her BA at Harvard in environmental science & public policy.
Selected Publications
BOOKS
- Diversifying Power: Why We Need Antiracist, Feminist Leadership on Climate and Energy (Island Press, 2020)
- Stephens, JC, EJ Wilson, TR Peterson. 2015. Smart Grid (R)Evolution: Electric Power Struggles. Cambridge University Press.
- Climate Change: An Encyclopedia of Science and History. 2013. Editors: BC Black, DM Hassenzahl, JC Stephens, G Weisel, & N Gift. ABC-Clio Publishers. Santa Barbara, CA.
Awards and Honors
- Leopold Leadership Fellowship, Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. 2015-2016
- Henry J. Leir Luxembourg Program-Clark University (LLP-CU) Conference Award. April 2014
- Faculty Community Engagement Award, Colleges of Worcester Consortium. March, 2013
- Excellence in Teaching Award, Department of IDCE, Clark University. May 2011
- Exceptional Merit Faculty Award, Clark University, 2008
- USEPA Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Fellowship for Graduate Study, 1999-2002
- Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Fellowship, 2000-2002
- National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Fellowship, 1998-1999
- Harvard College Research Fellowship and Dean’s Research Award, 1996
- Pforzheimer Student Fellowship, Radcliffe College, 1994-1995
Professional Associations
- SCORAI (Sustainable Consumption Research Action Initiative)
- New England Women in Energy & Environment
- Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS)
- Clean Energy Education & Empowerment (C3E)
- Society for Risk Analysis
- Society for Social Studies of Science (4S)
- American Geophysical Union (AGU)
- American Educational Research Assoc. (AERA)
- American Association of Geographers (AAG)
- American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
- Association for Environmental Studies & Science (AESS)
- Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management (APPAM)
- International Sustainable Development Research Society (ISDRS)