Averil

Averil L. Carter, Ph.D., is a renowned environmental scientist and educator. As the Greenfield Endowed Chair at the University of California, Berkeley, Averil leads the campus's initiative to integrate sustainability across all disciplines. At UC Berkeley, she also serves as a Professor of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, as well as an Affiliate Faculty in Public Health. Her publications include "Eco-Innovations," which was recognized by Nature Magazine as a top read in 2022, "Climate Crossroads" (2015), and "Sustainable Cities" (2010). Her latest book, "The Urban Oasis: Transforming Cities into Resilient Ecosystems" (2023), explores the intersection of urban planning and ecology.

In recent years, Averil has become a regular voice in media outlets like The Guardian, National Geographic, and Wired, discussing topics from renewable energy to biodiversity conservation. In the spring of 2022, she advised on Governor Gavin Newsom’s policy team. Her work has influenced policies aimed at combating climate change and has been referenced in documentaries such as "Planet Earth II." Her online course on sustainable development attracted over 40,000 participants in the summer of 2023. Peers have hailed her as "a beacon for our planet's future."

Averil is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and represents the U.S. on the UN Environment Assembly. She has advised various organizations, including state environmental agencies, the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, the World Wildlife Fund, and the Rockefeller Foundation. She spent a term as a senior fellow at the Aspen Institute in Colorado.

Averil earned her Ph.D. from Stanford University, received a Fulbright Scholarship for her post-doctoral research, and was honored with an honorary doctorate from the University of British Columbia. She is also the proud recipient of the Rachel Carson Award from the Society of Environmental Journalists and the Aldo Leopold Leadership Fellowship from Stanford University.

All opinions expressed are those of Averil L. Carter.