Search Results for 'ecology'
ERG Site
About ERG
ERG is a collaborative community of graduate students, core faculty, over 150 affiliated faculty and researchers across the campus, and over 500 alumni across the globe. Our students work across disciplines and departments to create potentially transformative knowledge for the planet. ERG is a world-renowned program with a 40-year history of outstanding research, education and […]
Affiliated Faculty
ERG has a small core faculty but a much larger group (100+) of affiliated faculty. Affiliated faculty are based in other departments on campus or at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and share ERG’s commitment to shared learning and interdisciplinary work. They are advisors, mentors, or employers to ERG students, and serve on master’s project, […]
Courses
Please note: This is a full list of ERG course offerings; not all courses are offered each term. For current course offerings, please refer to the online Schedule of Classes. ENERES 98/198 – Energy DeCal Daniel Kammen (Instructor of Record); class conducted by undergraduate students Introduction to energy topics and explore the social, environmental and […]
Equity Diversity
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at ERG Equity and inclusion are at the heart of our mission to provide education and research for a sustainable and just society. We aspire to be an inclusive community with diverse ideas, races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, ages, abilities, and socioeconomic backgrounds. We celebrate diversity in scholarship, teaching, community […]
Faculty by Primary Interest
Areas of Interest Climate Change Ecology Energy Governance Water International Climate Change ERG CORE David Anthoff David Anthoff is an environmental economist who studies climate change and environmental policy. He co-develops the integrated assessment model FUND that is used widely in academic research and in policy analysis John Harte John Harte’s research interests span ecological […]
Give to ERG
Give Big to ERG on Thursday, March 12 during UC Berkeley’s annual Big Give fundraiser! Big Give is UC Berkeley’s annual fundraising blitz—24 hours when we celebrate all of the moments that make Berkeley such a big deal by sharing the love on social media, supporting all of our favorite schools and programs, and competing […]
Harte Lab: Ecology & Global Change
Ecology and global change are the primary topics of research in the Harte Lab. Among the goals are: to characterize ecological feedbacks to climate change, to predict effects of global change on biodiversity, and to develop fundamental theory that predicts the structure of ecosystems across spatial scales.
Master’s Degree Curriculum Requirements (MA or MS)
The purpose of the ERG Master’s program is to educate the next generation of interdisciplinary leaders. Specifically, students are taught the range of methods and subjects they should be able to understand, advance, and critique to address critical issues stemming from the interaction of humans and the environment. To that end, the requirements for the […]
Minor/Certificate in Sustainability — Courses
Summer 2021 Curriculum ERG’s minor and certificate require a minimum of five courses and 15 total units of coursework, typically completed over two summers (or for a UC Berkeley student, a summer and a fall semester). All minor or certificate students must take EITHER Energy and Society or Climate Change Economics. UC Berkeley undergraduates may […]
Programs
ENERGY AND RESOURCES GROUP PROGRAMS Ph.D. – Doctor of Philosophy in Energy and Resources Master’s Degree – Two-year program in Master of Science (M.S.) or Master of Arts (M.A.) in Energy and Resources Concurrent ERG/Public Policy Master’s Degree – Three-year program in Energy and Resources (M.S. or M.A.) and Master’s Degree of Public Policy (M.P.P.) […]
Summer Instructors
The Energy and Resources Group summer instructors understand the complex and interdisciplinary nature of sustainability. All have significant experience teaching and/or professional experience in the subject areas of their courses. For course descriptions and schedule, visit our Summer Curriculum and Schedule page. Instructors listed may be subject to change. SAMUEL EVANS Course: Climate Change Economics […]
Support ERG
ERG students and faculty work across disciplines and departments to create transformative knowledge for the planet and its people. Forty years of ERG research has advanced the fields of global change ecology, renewable energy deployment, efficient energy systems, ecological economics, and equitable and affordable access to water and energy. Donate now to support ERG's unique culture of interdisciplinary research and teaching for a sustainable environment and a just society!
Sustainability Summer Minor and Certificate
The Minor and Certificate in Sustainability provides a comprehensive understanding of the most pressing issues facing the world today. The program offers a practical and relevant interdisciplinary approach at the intersection of environmental, economic, social, political, and cultural issues. Students complete courses in: Global and local environmental change The science, engineering, economics, and policy […]
Who We Are
A Brief History of ERG For thirty years, the Energy and Resources Group (ERG) at the University of California, Berkeley has provided its outstanding graduate students and exceptional faculty the scholarly conditions in which to: study the environmental sciences, analyze the social causes of our energy and environmental problems, undertake field research in a variety […]
Faculty
Youjin Chung
Assistant Professor
Youjin Chung is Assistant Professor of Sustainability and Equity with a joint appointment in the Energy and Resources Group and the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management.
John Harte
Professor
John Harte is a physicist turned ecologist. His research interests span ecological field research, the theory of complex systems, and policy analysis. Current interests include applying insights from information theory to the analysis of complex ecosystems and empirical investigation of climate-ecosystem feedback dynamics.
Students
Jessica Craigg
PhD
My research focuses on the intersections between renewable energy, gender, and rural life in northern Tanzania. Informed by critical social theory and political economy and ecology of energy, my work pivots around the gendered dimensions of rural energy use in a region where more and more large-scale ‘energy grabs’ are throwing social relations in the […]
Adam Hanbury-Brown
MS, PhD
Roosevelt Elk in the Klamath Mountains: Integrating Track and Sign, Spatial Ecology, and Visual Communication (MS ’18) Adam is interested in how climate change and biodiversity loss can be mitigated through agriculture, forestry, and conservation strategy. Prior to joining ERG, Adam worked with an early stage agriculture technology company called TerViva where he conducted research […]
Sangcheol Moon
MA
Sangcheol is interested in feedstock resources and materials loop modeling under the scenario of institutional regulation to support circular economy, Industrial ecology, green chemistry, and the design and implementation mechanisms of public policy and diffusion of technological innovation. She is also interested in firms’ sustainability decision making mechanisms to incorporate and influence environmental regulatory framework. […]
Molly Oshun
MS
Molly’s research is inspired by an evolving ethic of private land stewardship in Northern California. Her graduate work draws on rangeland hydrology, fire science, political ecology, behavioral science, and traditional ecological knowledge to investigate the socioecological systems that determine regional water security. Prior to ERG, Molly facilitated grassroots planning for a just climate transition in […]
Hilary Yu
MS
Mining Data on Reclaimed Coal Mines: a Machine Learning Approach to Assessing Habitat Suitability (MS ’18) Hilary received her B.A. in Government and Biological Sciences, with a concentration in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology in the latter, from Cornell University, where she graduated in 2015. At ERG, Hilary is interested in exploring the science-law nexus and […]
Alumni
Richard Barnes
PhD
Algorithms for, and Applications of, Global Terrain Analysis (PhD ’20) Richard applies computational and mathematical techniques to better understand the complex interface of society and the environment. His work includes developing (a) in silico models to exlore ecoevolutionary interactions over long time scales and (b) high-speed algorithms for understanding landscape use and evolution. A recipient […]
Rebecca Coates-Maldoon
MA, MPP
Assessing Instream Flow Standards Under Climate Change Implications for State-Level Policy in the U.S. (MS/MPP ’17) Rebecca completed a Master’s degree in both the Energy and Resources Group and the Goldman School of Public Policy (MA/MPP). Her research interests focus on the sustainable use of water resources, integrating work in ecology, equity, and climate change […]
Reuben Deumling
MA, PhD
The Industrial Ecology of Household Refrigerators: Product Life and the Demand for Materials and Energy (’99 MA) Public Policies, Private Choices: Consumer Desire and the Practice of Energy Efficiency (’08 PhD)
Nathan Johnson
MS
A Hierarchical Concept of Industrial Ecology: Scale, Values and the Paper Industry (’98 M.S.)
Christopher Jones
MS, PhD
Chris Jones is lead developer at the CoolClimate Network, an applied research consortium at UC Berkeley’s Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory that supports the development of comprehensive, socially integrated carbon footprint management tools and programs for individuals, schools, businesses and communities. His primary research interests intersect the fields of industrial ecology, environmental psychology, and climate […]
Anna Kantenbacher
MS, PhD
Environmental policy making; balancing short-term pressures with long-term needs; climate changes policies; economics; decision analysis; ecology.
Ann Kinzig
PhD
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT Ann Kinzig Ph.D. ’94 Professor in the School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University Perhaps more than most alumni, Ann Kinzig’s intellectual path has traversed ERG’s interdisciplinary bounds, grappling with the physical, life and social science aspects of the world’s ecological and social problems during, and especially after, her time at ERG. […]
Sharad Lele
PhD
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: SHARAD LÉLÉ Ph.D. 1993 Senior Fellow, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (Bangalore) Sharad Lele never intended to become an academic. And even though his resume is chock-full of scholarly publications, he still believes that applying the interdisciplinary academic knowledge gained at ERG defines ERG’s crucial role. After all, he says, […]
Erica Newman
MS, PhD
Erica’s niche is fire, particularly in the ecologically sensitive region of French Polynesia. She has already been trained as a physicist, but her curiosity draws her to ecology. ERG has become a unique place for Erica to explore her aspirations in the biological sciences alongside those who have successfully trekked through similar transitions. Read in her own words how Erica has fine-tuned her fascinations while at ERG.
Tracey Osborne
PhD
Carbon Capital: The Political Ecology of Carbon Forestry and Development in Chiapas, Mexico (’10 PhD)
Malini Ranganathan
MS, PhD
Can Co-ops become Energy Producers too? Challenges and Prospects for Efficient Co-Generation in India’s Co-Operative Sugar Sector (’05 MS) Fluid Hegemony: A Political Ecology of Water, Market Rule, and Insurgence at Bangalore’s Frontier (’10 PhD)
Jessica Reilly
MS, PhD
Jess studies the impact of and adaptation to climate change on Latin America’s coasts. Currently, she travels on her 39-foot sailboat, Oleada, down the Pacific coast of Mexico and Central America, through the Panama Canal, and into the Caribbean to document local climate knowledge through GIS mapping and personal narratives. You can follow her journey […]
Alana Siegner
MA, PhD
Growing Environmental Literacy: On Small-Scale Farms, in the Urban Agroecosystem, and in School Garden Classrooms (PhD ’20) Alana Siegner graduated from Tufts University in 2012 with a double major in Environmental Studies and International Relations. She was the Local Outreach Chair of the Tufts-Engineers Without Borders chapter, and spent 3 summers traveling to Uganda to […]
Adam Smith
PhD
Facets of Biological Conservation: Appropriate Ecology, Policy, and Ethics for Ensuring the Perpetuity of Biodiversity (’09 PhD)
Ida Sognnaes
MA
Ida Sognnaes is a PhD student in the Energy and Resources Group. She is originally from Norway and came to Berkeley for the first time as part of her five year MSc in Applied Mathematics and Physics where she focused on Renewable Energy and Climate Science. She wrote her Master thesis with John Harte in […]
Matthew Turner
PhD
Life on the Margin: Fulsse Herding Practices and the Relationship Between Economy and Ecology in the Inland Niger Delta of Mali (’92 Ph.D.)
Justin West
MS
Justin’s background in botany and agroecology informs his research in perennial crop farming systems and woody biomass coppice. Most recently he has been researching tropical fodder bank systems in South America. Justin previously studied at The Colorado College (BA), and The University of Plymouth (MSc). He worked as a vegetation ecologist in various parts of […]
Cleo Woelfle-Erskine
MS, PhD
In the tradition of Barad and Haraway, I practice Science and Technology Studies (STS) “from the inside”, drawing on my own natural science training to inform the theoretical frameworks I develop. My interdisciplinary outlook is grounded in training, publication, and research in hydrology, aquatic ecology, and fluvial geomorphology, as well as in social science and […]
News
Distinguished Scientist and ERG Emeritus Remembering Jack Hollander
ERG emeritus professor Jack M. Hollander passed away on November 10, 2019 at age 92.
Professor John Harte and Alumnus Scott Saleska Elected as Ecological Society of America Fellows
ERG Professor of the Graduate School John Harte and alumnus Scott Saleska (PhD ’98), now a Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Arizona, have been announced as Ecological Society of America (ESA) 2019 Fellows for their outstanding contributions to the ecological sciences. The ESA Fellows program was established in 2012 and […]
Transportation Emissions in Mexico City – How Big Data is Driving Change
Mexico City is one of the most congested cities in the world, and it’s taking a toll on the health of its citizens and the environment. Sergio Castellanos, a postdoctoral scholar with Energy and Resources Group, along with Dan Kammen and other researchers from UC Berkeley and the National Institute of Ecology and Climate Change […]
ERG Summer Courses Available
ERG is offering four of its most popular courses this summer! Enroll Today!
BOOK: Applying Anthropology and Physics to Sustainability
New book by Dove and Kammen released this week.
UC Berkeley Ranks 1st in the World for Environment
Subject-specific rankings from US New & World Report are based on academic research performance in those subjects.
Will Dr. Harte’s MaxEnt lead to a unified theory of ecology?
"MaxEnt breaks everything that we ever thought about communities and species and ecology."
Professor Harte Featured in DOE’s Symmetry
He transitioned from physics to ecology. And at ERG, he's not the only one.
Topic Links
Molly Oshun
Molly’s research is inspired by an evolving ethic of private land stewardship in Northern California. Her graduate work draws on rangeland hydrology, fire science, political ecology, behavioral science, and traditional ecological knowledge to investigate the socioecological systems that determine regional water security. Prior to ERG, Molly facilitated grassroots planning for a just climate transition in […]
Sasha Ponomareva
Sasha earned her B.A. in Environmental Analysis with a minor in Spanish from Pomona College in 2014. After this she worked for 5 years for the City of San Francisco, first at the Department of the Environment and most recently at the San Francisco International Airport; she worked on outreach, education, program implementation and infrastructure […]
Sean Kelly
While Sean is particularly interested in food systems, urban agriculture and food sovereignty, he is also intent on collaborating across disciplines in order to inform and support increasingly equitable and resilient communities. Sean has held a number of professional roles since earning a BA in Music Composition from the University of Illinois in 2005. For […]
Andrew D. Jones
Dr. Jones is an Earth scientist who works at the interface of human and environmental systems. His research uses quantitative models and data analysis to understand climate change and human-Earth system interactions at decision-relevant scales. He also collaborates with social scientists and interacts closely with stakeholders to understand how science can effectively provide actionable insight […]
Oliver James
Oliver is a concurrent ERG/MPP student at UC Berkeley. His research and policy interests lie at the intersection of climate change, conservation, and natural resource management in California and the American West. Prior to joining ERG, he was a graduate fellow at the Strategic Growth Council in the Governor’s Office of California. A lifelong student […]
Dipti Bhatnagar
Dipti got her Masters at ERG in 2008. Since then, she went back to India working with communities displaced by dams. She also fought for water justice in California, working with Native American tribes on access to water for traditional ceremonies and with Latino farmworkers across the California Central Coast on access to clean drinking […]
Thomas Powell
Tom Powell is a forest ecologist that uses empirical and theoretical approaches to understand how terrestrial ecosystems and the services they provide respond to and recover from anthropogenic and natural disturbances. He is currently a postdoctoral fellow working on the NGEE-Tropics project at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Tom has researched and published on ecosystems […]
Hikari Murayama
After earning her B.A. in Chemical Physics from Wellesley College, Hikari began her professional career doing economic consulting for Bates White in Washington D.C. While her interest in data and analytics never subsided, Hikari’s passion for socially-focused, impact-driven work led her to join NASA DEVELOP. She worked on land cover and water remote sensing to […]
Edem Yevoo
Edem received his B.S in Environmental Science and Technology, with a concentration in Ecological Technology Design and minor in Geographic Information Science (GIS) from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2019. Edem is interested in sustainable energy development and natural resource management, in particular, exploring solutions to renewable energy integration and energy access in […]
Polly Buotte
Polly Buotte currently works on modeling the effects of climate on vegetation productivity, mortality, and distribution. She has a BS in Wildlife Biology from Colorado State, an MS in Wildlife Biology from the University of Montana, and a PhD in Environmental Science from the University of Idaho. Research Group: Kueppers Lab Contact: polly.buotte@berkeley.edu