CONGRATULATIONS Prof. DeFries !!!

We are proud to announce that our very own Ruth DeFries has recently been appointed as a University Professor, which is the highest rank bestowed on Columbia faculty. It is fitting that Professor DeFries receive this honor  as she is one of the world’s foremost scholars investigating how to ensure a sustainable future for our planet.

Professor DeFries is a Denning Family Professor of Sustainable Development in the department of  Ecology Evolution & Environmental Biology and Co-director of the Undergraduate Program in sustainable development at the Earth Institute.  Her scholarship is committed to nothing less than understanding the changes experienced by the planet over the course of human existence.  Professor DeFries’ institutional leadership led to the creation of several innovative programs at Columbia, and her public advocacy is responsible for advances around the world concerning climate change, food and water insecurity, and nature conservation.  She was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2006 and the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2008.  In 2007, Professor DeFries received a Fulbright Award for Research in India and a MacArthur Fellowship.

Our E3B family celebrates this moment and extends a joyous congratulations.

For more information on Professor DeFries’ work please visit her website