Every spring, thousands of people gather on Columbia University’s Morningside campus for a grand commencement ceremony honoring our graduating students. The coronavirus pandemic has thrown a wrench into that tradition. This year we cannot meet in person to celebrate and take photos, but that hasn’t stopped the community from coming together online to commemorate the graduates’ hard work and dedication in virtual ceremonies.
Earth Institute Director Alex Halliday offered his congratulations to all the students graduating from Earth Institute-affiliated education programs this semester, including undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs.
“We may not be able to gather in person for commencement, but that does not diminish the incredible accomplishments you all have achieved,” Halliday added. “You have faced the unexpected and difficult circumstances of the last few months with courage, grit, and creativity — and persevered. The Earth Institute community is here to support you when needed and is rooting for each and every one of you. We look forward to seeing the extraordinary impact you will have on the world.”
Although it is a difficult time to be launching a new phase of one’s life, we have every confidence that our graduates have a bright future ahead of them, and that they will impact the world for the better. The world needs experts in sustainability and environmental science now more than ever.
Below are photos of some of the students graduating in the Spring and Summer semesters, along with messages of congratulations, encouragement, and advice from faculty in each educational program.
PhD in Sustainable Development
Ana Varela, Ruiwen Lee, and Anouch Missirian earned their PhDs in Sustainable Development this spring. Photo editing by Phebe Pierson
Rodrigo R. Soares, Lemann Professor of Brazilian Public Policy and International and Public Affairs: The best of luck and success in your future careers!
John Mutter, Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences and of International and Public Affairs: My heartfelt joy and congratulations on your amazing successes. It’s true, we don’t make success a snap, but now that you have made it, I wish you all the best in the post-PhD real world.
Scott Barrett, Vice Dean, School of International and Public Affairs; Lenfest-Earth Institute Professor of Natural Resource Economics: Congratulations! Getting a PhD is a significant achievement. You have every reason to feel proud.
The program is difficult. Research is difficult. You have to pick a topic, find a question, do the work. There is the anxiety of wondering, will the work be good? There are stumbling blocks and disappointments. If you’re persistent and perhaps a little lucky, you find that you have something worthy. But then you need to write it up. You think it won’t take long, but it does. You try to anticipate concerns that may be raised about the work. You also try to show the work in the best light. You find that doing both is a balancing act. You get different kinds of advice. One person says one thing, another a different thing; you have to decide. You know what you want, sometimes you’re not sure. It takes time. A lot of time.
And then, even before you’re done, you have to face the job market. You have to prepare your slides. Practice your talk. Get ready for interviews. Finally, the moment arrives when you give your talk, and have your interviews. And then you wonder, did it go well? After that, you wait. And wonder. Will I get an offer? Will I get my first choice? What happens if I don’t get an offer?
But you can’t worry about this too much, because you have to finish your thesis and submit it in time. You have to prepare for your defense.
Being a special group, you had one more obstacle to overcome: COVID-19. This is a true test of will. And you passed! Take some moments to appreciate what you’ve done. You owe this to yourself.
I’m very proud of you. I wish you good luck in your new positions. I hope you will stay in touch. Congratulations, graduates, and good luck.
Undergraduate Program in Sustainable Development
Ruth deFries, Denning Family Professor of Sustainable Development in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology: To the students in the undergraduate program in Sustainable Development, we salute you and admire your perseverance to get to this point under such difficult circumstances. The world needs your passion, insights, and roll-up-the-sleeves attitude like never before. Be well.
Kytt McManus, Senior Systems Analyst, Center for International Earth Science Information Network: Congratulations and good luck to the Class of 2020! Remember: If you can measure it, you can manage it.
Mike Steckler, Research Professor, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory: Congratulations to the Sustainable Development Class of 2020. I wish you all success in following your vision for the future.
Lisa Dale, Lecturer in Discipline in Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology: You are graduating into a most unusual time. And in many ways, it feels like we are handing you a broken world. It’s broken by coronavirus most obviously, but it was also broken long before COVID-19 became a pandemic. The world is broken from climate change, from inequality, and across any other sector we can probably think of. So we turn to you, the graduating seniors, as the hope and the path toward a better future. You are better equipped than almost anybody out there to tackle what’s broken about our world. You can contribute. You can participate. You can build. You can lead. And someday I have no doubt we will see many of you in leadership positions, fixing what’s broken in the world. I feel a little better each night knowing that we are looking at a future that has you all in leadership positions. So congratulations on your amazing accomplishment, the hours of work you put in, the learning you’ve done, the exploration you’ve done. Congratulations and good luck to everybody.
Malgosia Madajewicz, Associate Research Scientist in the Center for Climate Systems Research: I want to congratulate you on this tremendous achievement, your graduation. Terribly sorry that you’re not getting to celebrate on campus with all your friends. A lot of you might be worried about your opportunities, given that you’re graduating in an economic recession. Two things about that: One, keep in mind that even during an economic recession, most people are employed and most of you will have great opportunities. Two, if you’re finding yourself not finding the opportunities that you want at this time, don’t spend time stressing about the situation and worrying about it.
Young people when they graduate are often in a great big hurry — they feel they have so little time to establish themselves in their new careers, that they can’t afford to let themselves get ‘behind.’ Believe me, from the perspective of someone who is decades older than you are, you have plenty of time. People start new, very successful careers later in life. If you’re not finding what you want at this time, use this as an opportunity to broaden your horizons, to grow. This is a wonderful time in your life to do new things. You can continue to learn, you can travel. When I graduated from college, there wasn’t a recession, I have no excuse, but I spent almost two years partly working and partly bumming around South Asia. It was the best thing I have ever done in my life. I am so glad I did that.
Keep in mind you have plenty of time to do achieve all the great things that you’ve set out for yourself, and I wish you the best of luck.
Paul Gallay, Lecturer in Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology: I want to wish you all congratulations. It’s amazing what you all have achieved in your time in the Sustainable Development program. The folks that I’ve had the pleasure of instructing, I’ve really been struck by your level of commitment, your thoughtfulness, and your dedication to sustainability. It’s going to be so important and so valuable as we move through what are extraordinary times. And no matter how long the current crisis lasts, you all are going to be so benefitted by the work that you have done and the commitment that you’ve put into your education. I’m grateful for the work that I was able to do with many of you, and no matter what the future holds — the challenges, near-term and long-term — I know that you’re going to make an enormous difference. So thank you for the great work you did at Columbia, and thank you even more for everything that you’re going to do out in the world to help build the cause of sustainability. Best of luck, sincerely, to you all.
M.P.A. in Environmental Science and Policy
MPA in Environmental Science and Policy Class of 2020. Photo editing by Phebe Pierson
Steve Cohen, Director of the Master of Public Administration Program in Environmental Science and Policy: If the last several months have taught us anything, it is that we are closely interconnected on this small blue island in the vastness of space and that our survival depends on an ecologically healthy planet and medically healthy humans. The professional skills that our new graduates have developed in the environmental science and policy program equip them to take their place as sustainability professionals in a world that has never needed them more. I am deeply proud of the class of 2020 and know that with those that came before them and those who will follow, we can together save the planet and preserve it for our children.
Park Williams, Lamont Associate Research Professor in the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory: Congrats to all of you for finishing this marathon year! As you now head back into the real world to do some good, please never forget about the infinite interconnectedness of the Earth system and the fact that it doesn’t care much about the human timescale. The things we do today will reverberate through the Earth system for many thousands or millions of years.
Howard Apsan, Adjunct Professor of International and Public Affairs: I’m not sure what the new normal will look like or how it will impact environmental policy, but I am upbeat knowing that our graduates will play a key role as they assume greater and greater leadership responsibility. Congratulations, ESP graduates!
Sara Tjossem, Senior Lecturer in Discipline of International and Public Affairs: Dear Class of 2020, know that whatever path you follow, we as faculty, your fellow graduates, and decades of alumni will be there to listen and help you think about how best to realize your vision for a more sustainable future. It’s also really fun to hear back from you!
Bob Cook, Adjunct Assistant Professor of International and Public Affairs: In these uncertain times, you have demonstrated your commitment to the pursuit of knowledge and your perseverance in the face of significant challenges. With the education you have gained, you have the tools to contribute to a more sustainable world. I wish you every success in your next steps!
Energy and Environment Concentration
Part of the 2020 class graduating from the Energy and Environment Concentration. Photo editing by Phebe Pierson
Jason Bordoff, Founding Director of the Center on Global Energy Policy: The 50th anniversary of Earth Day has been, for me, a moment to reflect not only on the urgency of our climate and environmental challenges, but the transformational change that the next generation of leaders can deliver through their research, advocacy, and service. Congratulations on your graduation from SIPA — and thank you for your passion and commitment to solving our most pressing energy and environmental issues. When I feel pessimistic about the future, nothing gives me more hope than being able to teach talented young leaders like you who will, I have no doubt, deliver a cleaner and prosperous future for all of us. Like you, I regret that this year’s crisis does not allow for the typical graduation celebration, but I hope we can celebrate your achievement in person together soon and wish you all the best for your future endeavors.
Scott Barrett, Vice Dean, School of International and Public Affairs; Lenfest-Earth Institute Professor of Natural Resource Economics: Congratulations! Graduating from SIPA is an achievement. You have reason to feel proud. Of course, it is normal also to have other feelings at this time. Relief that it’s over. Excitement about the future. You probably already miss your life in NYC and as a graduate student.
For your class, uniquely, you have reason to feel a heightened sense of loss because of the way everything ended. You expected to be on campus for graduation. You thought you could say goodbye to your friends and classmates with hugs. You were confident that the economy was strong. Like everyone, you have been affected by this crisis. I hope you are safe. I hope your families are well.
I wanted to say something to the environment concentrators. If you took my course, Fundamentals of Environmental Economics and Policy, you may remember my lecture on infectious diseases. I highlighted two issues, the emergence of a new disease and the eradication of an existing one. These are the two most critical issues for global health. They both put the international system to an extreme test.
COVID-19 is a new disease. So far, the world’s response to it has been a patchwork. This isn’t all bad. If a country lowers transmission within its borders, it poses less of a threat to others. The big test for the international system will come later, when some countries have reduced transmission to a safe level and others haven’t and can’t on their own. Will they be helped? Perhaps the biggest test will come if and when a vaccine becomes available. Who will get it? How will it be paid for?
This is where the other test comes in. I can think of no greater achievement of humanity than the eradication of smallpox. This happened because the world worked together to make it happen. As COVID-19 jumped from an animal to humans, it cannot be eradicated. Even if the virus disappears, we can’t be sure it won’t return in some form. But we can make a vaccine available to everyone who wants one, irrespective of ability to pay. Doing so will increase protection for everyone, but it will also be an expression of our common humanity.
I would invite you to think about what is possible. Don’t be naïve, but don’t be cynical. We can do more about the world’s great problems, such as climate change. We just have to figure out how to do more. I hope you will join in this effort.
It has been a privilege to teach you. Congratulations again, stay in touch, and good luck.
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