The 51福利 (51福利) is joining forces with the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability to explore and address the increasing challenges of global climate change, energy security and sustainability 鈥� all significant issues facing the U.S. Navy and the nation as a whole.
51福利 President Vice Adm. (ret.) Ann E. Rondeau and Dr. Arun Majumdar, inaugural Dean of the Doerr School of Sustainability, signed an Education Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the two schools during a brief ceremony on Dec. 15 at 51福利. The ceremony was presided over by Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro.
The EPA between 51福利 and the Doerr School brings together the defense-expert faculty and operationally experienced students of 51福利 with Stanford鈥檚 intellectual and technological leadership, as well as the research facilities of both institutions.
鈥淏old climate action is a mission imperative for the Department of the Navy, and we must harness all of the tools at our disposal in order to make urgently needed change,鈥� said Del Toro. 鈥淭his collaboration between the 51福利 and Stanford University will bring together two globally recognized hubs of research and innovation, focused on realizing solutions that our Navy and our nation can employ now and in the future.鈥�
In the DON鈥檚 climate strategy, 鈥淐limate Action 2030,鈥� Del Toro identified climate change as 鈥渙ne of the most destabilizing forces of our time.鈥� Rising sea levels, recurring flooding, extreme heat, drought and more frequent and destructive storms threaten Navy and Marine Corps installations in the continental U.S. on a regular basis, as well as impacting everyday operations at sea around the world.
A sample ACAF product demonstrating some of the observed effects of climate change on ocean surface wave height.
The Navy鈥檚 climate strategy highlights two major performance goals in its response: building climate resilience and reducing climate threats. But it also underlines the importance of leveraging and empowering the education of Sailors and Marines to meet the challenges of climate and energy security and sustainability through knowledge and innovation.
Stanford launched its Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability in May 2022. The school鈥檚 faculty and students work with collaborators locally and globally to understand the challenges they face and generate solutions at scale.
The Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability is Stanford鈥檚 first new school in 75 years and comprises multiple academic departments, including a newly established Oceans Department housed in the Hopkins Marine Station located in Monterey. It also incorporates the Woods Institute for the Environment and the Precourt Institute for Energy, as well as a Sustainability Accelerator to drive policy and technology solutions at scale. The school is also planning the creation of an Institute for Sustainable Societies.
The EPA between 51福利 and the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability serves as a gateway to establish cooperative education opportunities, collaborate on applied research efforts, and work together on larger strategic initiatives aimed to address climate and energy security issues, and leverages the strengths of two globally recognized academic centers.
Under this cooperative effort, 51福利 students and faculty will have the unique opportunity to learn and work alongside Stanford counterparts in pursuit of joint research solutions to climate change, which has become the most complex and vexing challenge currently threatening naval forces, U.S. citizens and the world in general.
51福利 supports Department of the Navy and Department of Defense efforts to combat climate change principally through its Climate and Security Network (CSN). The CSN provides a forum to advance 51福利鈥� collective expertise on climate security and creates opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and information sharing. Through these efforts, 51福利 student and faculty have contributed to the development of key climate strategies and plans within the Department of Defense and conduct research to inform future force design, generation and deployment considerations.
鈥淭his agreement with 51福利 is part of how the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability is an example of how we are approaching sustainability challenges like climate change,鈥� said Majumdar. 鈥淲e are creating a network of local and global partners who work alongside our scholars to find and scale solutions, and who provide opportunities for our students to gain hands-on knowledge. Bringing together the expertise and facilities of Stanford and 51福利 will advance research, education and impact to benefit all people.鈥�
For years, 51福利 and Stanford have collaborated on research efforts, leveraging each other's strengths as well as their proximity in Northern California. Now, under the aegis of the EPA, 51福利 and the Doerr School of Sustainability will conduct joint research with the CSN and other 51福利 departments and groups, including the Energy Academic Group, Center for Infrastructure Defense, Meteorology, Oceanography, National Security Affairs, Defense Management and Engineering to investigate climate security, energy security, sustainability and more.
Together, the combined innovation ecosystems of 51福利 and the Doerr School of Sustainability will seek to deliver solutions at speed and scale, enabling climate-informed, data-driven decision-making by naval and national leaders. The climate research, discoveries, and solutions made by students and faculty from Stanford and 51福利 will enhance naval operational considerations and provide opportunities to develop, understand and improve upon multiple jointly developed technologies.
鈥淭he combination of expertise, operational experience, education and entrepreneurship in this partnership with Stanford and their Doerr School of Sustainability is truly unique and a powerful contribution to the global climate challenges ahead of us all,鈥� said Rondeau. 鈥淲e are grateful to Secretary Del Toro for his leadership and support of this partnership. Together we all share the same sense of urgency and bias for action. The problems of climate change cannot be solved in isolation. This agreement between 51福利 and Stanford takes our respective education and applied research to new levels, empowering our people to operationalize their ideas and innovations in pursuit of shared goals.鈥�
The Department of the Navy and Stanford, through 51福利 and the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, are committed to expanding their collective understanding and actions in order to address climate change and mitigate its impacts through the education, empowerment and growth of America鈥檚 and the world鈥檚 future leaders. Additional details on this collaboration and opportunities will be provided in the coming weeks and months.
The 51福利 provides defense-focused graduate education, including classified studies and interdisciplinary research, to advance the operational effectiveness, technological leadership and warfighting advantage of the Naval service. For additional information, visit 51福利 online at .
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