EI Donor Report, 2011

The

man

y ch

allen

ge

s faci

ng the p

lanet—from poverty to natural disasters to water issues—

are intensely linked, as are their solutions.The Earth Institute’s interdisciplinary approach to

sust

aina

ble

deve

lopm

ent a

nd it

s ext

raordinary

contributions in research, education and the creation of real-world solutions

are helping pave the way toward a better future.

annual donor report 2011

“As someone who has worked

with Jeff side by side on

many important global issues

facing us and this planet,

I can think of no better

leader for the Earth Institute

as we face the next five years

and the race to meet the

Millennium Development

Goals. At the Earth Institute,

Jeff can continue his tireless

and courageous leadership

and will use this platform

to continue to remind us

of the economic, political

and moral choices that we

can and should make for

the betterment of mankind

and the planet.”

—Ted Turner

Ala

n O

rling

The Earth Institute, Columbia University

2 Letter From the President of Columbia University

3 Letter From the Director of the Earth Institute

6 Scaling Up Results to Defeat World Hunger

8 Designing a Sustainable Energy Future

10 Designing Local Solutions for the Global Water Crisis

12 Breathing New Life into New York City Schools

14 The South of Haiti: Poised on the Brink of Change

16 A Growing Cohort of Sustainability Management Professionals

18 Assessing the Magnitude of a Disaster

20 A Classroom in the Field

22 Refining Climate Prediction in Africa

23 Volunteers Improve Health Initiatives in Millennium Cities

26 Extraordinary Support for Unprecedented Global Challenges

28 Our Donors

34 More Earth Institute Projects and Initiatives

table of contents

Students enjoying lunch at a school supported by the Millennium Villages Project.

Left: Oceanographer William Ryan and Research Staff Assistant Kevin McLain mapping the sea floor at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. M

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“By developing models of change that work

in real life, MVP clusters have seen farm

yields triple; subsistence transform into profits; a

new and robust health infrastructure grow;

and school meals for all children as they reach

for new horizons through education.”

Columbia university has always been Committed to applying its resources and knowledge to the most urgent issues facing our community and our world. The scope of this concern has grown over our long history to encompass the entire globe. Today we are striving to better understand and respond to a lengthy list of challenges ranging from climate change and sustainability to poverty and global public health. The recent series of natural and man-made disasters—including food shortages, severe drought across different continents, the Gulf oil spill here in the United States, and Japan’s earthquake and resulting tsunami and nuclear crisis—only serves to underscore the importance of this work.

Within our academic community, and indeed around the world, Columbia’s Earth Institute is a recog-nized leader of the effort to address these problems. The Earth Institute functions as an interdisciplinary hub, employing a unique structure to harness the intellectual resources of engineers, economists, legal scholars, social and political scientists, and more than 200 research scientists at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory who are adding to our knowledge about the origin, evolution and future of the natural world.

These cross-disciplinary collaborations advance understanding of the earth’s systems while supporting applications of new knowledge that will benefit humankind directly. The Institute’s work ranges from building the infrastructure for managing water resources in rural communities from Brazil to Australia; to developing sustainable responses to persistent health risks and poverty in Haiti and other struggling nations; to educating a new generation of leaders in Columbia University’s program leading to a Master of Science degree in Sustainability Management.

The future prospects for maintaining this record of service and scholarship are enhanced by the fact that Jeff Sachs will continue to serve as director of the Earth Institute for another five-year term. Jeff ’s dynamic vision of sustainable economic development has helped engage other scholars from a wide range of disciplines and also created new partnerships beyond the university that benefit people and communities around the world.

On the pages of this report, you will find a sample of the remarkable projects conducted by the Earth Institute and the people who lead them. Columbia is indebted to our donors for making this work possible, and we thank you for supporting our commitment to bring the best academic research together with a truly global mission of public service.

Sincerely,

Lee C. Bollinger

from the president of columbia university

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“In this past year, the Earth Institute’s scientists, researchers, faculty and students conducted crucial research to find solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges.”

this has been quite a year in the saga of sustainable development. Each passing month has taught us again of our vulnerability and our need to learn to live sustainably with nature. The evidence is everywhere that humanity’s impact on the natural environment is taking us into complex and unexplored dangers. Thank goodness, I tell myself, that Columbia University more than a decade ago had the foresight to launch a University-wide initiative on sustainable development, drawing in hundreds of scientific and development experts in a common cause. How honored and privileged I am to lead the Earth Institute; I am endlessly thankful to Lee Bollinger for graciously reappointing me director through the end of 2015.

The Earth Institute is at the forefront in measuring and monitoring climate change, the collisions of population increase and loss of biodiversity, the burdens of infectious disease and undernutrition in impoverished rural communities, the legal redress for environmental damages, and the ways to combine economic development of mining sites with sustainable development of the host communities and countries. We are at the forefront in supporting Haiti in its recovery from the devastating earthquake and other disasters, and in aiding a nation to make a breakthrough to sustainable development. Our impact stretches to Africa, India, Asia, Latin America, and beyond to address the shared problems of hunger, disease, poverty, natural hazards and biological conservation. There are few places in the world where the Earth Institute is not present; even Antarctica, the ocean floor, and the highest glaciers of the Himalayas feel our influence.

I have the high privilege to visit dozens of countries each year, meeting with a variety of people from world leaders to local villagers, seeing for myself the unprecedented potential for human progress as well as the blight of human loss and waste. I also see a new generation of young people around the world ready to grasp the challenges of sustainable development. I believe that, first and foremost, the Earth Institute serves those young people. If we accomplish any single goal, it should be to empower the coming generation of global citizens with the scientific knowledge, the global perspective, the ethical underpinnings and the practical experience necessary to address and solve the harrowing challenges of sustainable development that they will confront in the next several decades. While the task is immense, I am certain that through our innovative education programs, ranging from the new major in sustainable development at the College to the unprecedented Ph.D. in Sustainable Development, the Earth Institute is making a difference.

We at the Earth Institute are asked fervently to help ever more countries, examine more problems, make faster research progress, educate more leaders, advise more heads of state and prepare more plans of action. Of course we must watch our way to ensure that we abide by the highest standards of rigor, ethics and responsibility in responding to these huge questions. Yet at the same time, I know that it is right to respond to these urgent and growing requests. They reflect a deeper hunger for problem solving and networking at a global scale.

This report highlights the remarkable energy, talent and scope of activities among my wonderful colleagues, demonstrating the profound impact of your unyielding partnership and steadfast support. The 21st century is the age of sustainable development. We must work together to master these chal-lenges before they master us. Please join the Earth Institute in this life-affirming and global cause. I know that I can count on your continued leadership, generosity and support.

With best wishes,

Jeffrey D. Sachs

from the director of the earth institute

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by extreme poverty and hunger

The scaling up of sustainability efforts in the Millennium Villages has greatly benefited local populations in sub-Saharan Africa.

in an environment devastated

increasefrom 1 ton to 3 tonsper hectare.

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we have seen harvest results


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we have seen harvest results


Scaling Up Results to Defeat World Hunger

five years ago, pedro sanchez, director of the earth insti-

tute’s tropical agriculture and rural environment program

and millennium villages project (mvp), stood in the village

of sauri, Kenya—the first millennium village—and had a

“wow” moment. In an environment devastated by extreme

poverty and hunger, Sanchez had just seen some spectacular

harvest results, triple the usual. “As an agronomist, I expected

this,” says Sanchez of the Earth Institute’s research-based

innovations, “but as a human being, it was highly emotional.”

Today, the MVP has made bold progress. By developing models

of change that work in real life, MVP clusters have seen farm

yields triple, subsistence transform into profits, a new and

robust health infrastructure grow and all children be provided

school meals as they reach for new horizons through education.

The Earth Institute and partners are now pressing forward to the

next level of Africa’s Green Revolution, not only continuing

research at the MVP clusters, but also scaling up from those

successes to share best practices throughout the continent

and beyond. We call it African Green Revolution 2.0.

A soon-to-be-established Center for Global Agriculture and

Food Systems—supported with generous funding from the

Rockefeller Foundation, Monsanto, and other partners—will

lead a larger, more unified push to achieve the Millennium

Development Goals. With private and public sector partners,

the Center will improve research into poverty mitigation by

creating global metrics; strengthen Africa-based scientists as

Columbia University research faculty; help create a global dig-

ital soil map to enhance local agriculture, improve use of water

resources and adapt to climate change; and advocate effective,

science-based policies for sustainable agriculture worldwide.

Ending extreme poverty and hunger through environmentally

sustainable change means finding ways to feed more people

and creating new economies, new connections and new atti-

tudes. “I saw this beautiful girl standing with her parents in

Below: Abundant crop yields in the Millennium Villages (maize harvest, Mbola, Tanzania).

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Koraro, Ethiopia,” says Cheryl Palm, science director of the

MVP, who was interviewing families at the site. The girl was

just the “right” age for marriage, maybe 12 or 13. Was her

father eager to marry her off, Palm wondered, or might the girl

be planning to continue school? When Palm asked her, the

girl said, “I am going to go to secondary school. I want to be

a nurse or a doctor.”

“Is that all right with you?” Palm asked the father, who had final

say. The dowry he stood to make was probably several cows,

and certainly the boys were already asking for her hand.

“Yes,” he said. “We’ve discussed it as a family and it’s very

important for girls to go to school.” The father’s attitude

points to the root of the social change that begins to happen

when farm families are food-secure in villages that are

becoming malaria-free zones. Sustainable poverty abate-

ment, educational opportunity, girl empowerment and reliable

healthcare naturally evolve into greater optimism for the

future and a real chance to break from the cycle of poverty,

hunger and disease.

“The Earth Institute has played an important

global role in pioneering science to advance

solutions to some of the world’s most

pressing problems—health, poverty, agri-

culture, energy and education. The Gates

Foundation and the Earth Institute share a

common agenda: We focus on those areas

and people who are often most neglected

by society, science and technology. We also

share a belief that if we stimulate good

science and good practice, we can work

to implement solutions to the critical prob-

lems facing our planet today.

Our partnership has been a valued compo-

nent of the Foundation’s work in both

Africa and India, with pioneering programs

and strategies that work across many sci-

entific, policy and programmatic boundaries.

My visit to Columbia last year and the

chance to interact with the amazing range

of scientific talent in each of these fields

confirmed my belief in our joint work. We

look forward to continuing this partnership

with Columbia and with the Earth Institute

over the coming years.”

—Bill Gates


Dr. Pedro Sanchez with local farmers in the Nyanza Province of Kenya.

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Designing a sustainable energy future

at the lenfest Center for sustainable energy (lCse), scien-

tists are working to allow continued economic development

in the face of climate change by halting—not just reducing—

net emissions of globe-warming carbon dioxide. “Think of

pouring water into a cup: as long as you pour water into the

cup, the water level goes up,” says Klaus S. Lackner, director

of the center and Ewing-Worzel Professor of Geophysics. “It

does not matter whether the maximum allowable level is one

inch below the rim or one and a half inches below the rim. In

either case, you will eventually have to stop pouring.” To meet

this challenge, Lenfest researchers are studying energy tech-

nologies that close the carbon loop altogether.

Lackner, for instance, is working to produce synthetic hydro-

carbon fuels by converting carbon dioxide captured directly

from the air.

Capturing the CO2 uses a process called “moisture swing

absorption” that is studied at LCSE. In the laboratory, he is

using a device that looks like a small pine branch, which con-

tains a resin that absorbs CO2 when dry and releases it again

when exposed to moisture. This makes possible a closed-

loop system where the captured emissions can be recycled

into fuel with the help of renewable energy. Because such

fuels can be produced using nonbiological processes, they

do not share the disadvantages of biofuels in terms of land

and resource use, competition with food supplies or other

related impacts. These fuels would be entirely carbon neutral.

Lackner has also begun exploring ways to use modern auto-

mation technology to build much smaller fuel-synthesis

plants and wind turbines, both key components in a closed-

loop carbon system. Such systems are currently characterized

by massive installations and large capital investments; Lackner

believes that if they could be shrunk, they might become

more economically feasible.


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Alissa Park, the center’s associate director and junior pro-

fessor in applied climate science, is also pursuing research

in energy conversion systems and carbon capture. The

National Science Foundation has honored her work with its

Career Award. With funding from the U.S. Department of

Energy, Park has studied a carbon capture and storage tech-

nology that draws upon enhanced weathering, the breaking

down process of silicate minerals to store carbon permanently.

“We live in a society that is built on and uses large quantities

of fossil fuels,” says Park. “Anything made from carbon can

be converted into valuable fuels or chemicals. We are im-

proving the design of the energy conversion system from the

beginning in such a way that we won’t have to clean up our

mess at the opposite end.”

The Lenfest Center for Sustainable Energy

is also focused on the development of a novel

CO2 monitoring technology that utilizes

a carbon-14 tag. Midway through a U.S.

Department of Energy funding award, this

innovative carbon-14 tag system has shown

great potential as a powerful monitoring

and inventory tool that may one day be able

to provide the public with the assurance to

accept geologic carbon dioxide storage.

Above: Ph.D. candidate Greeshma Gadikota prepares an experiment for Professor Alissa Park’s carbon mineralization project. Funded by ARPA-E

and NSF, this research explores enhancing mineralization of carbon dioxide using

chemical and biological catalysts.

Left: Lenfest Professor Alissa Park discusses the conversion of nonrecyclables into liquid fuels with graduate students Kyle Fricker and David Dogon. Recognized with the National Science Foundation’s Career Award, this research explores the conversion of municipal waste into high-value products and the storage of resulting carbon dioxide via in-situ, or on-site, carbon sequestration.

Left: Alex Luntz, a Columbia College junior, and Senior Staff Associate Allen Wright assist Professor Klaus Lackner in setting up a demonstration of air capture technology in the Lenfest Center for Sustainable Energy’s air capture laboratory. The white fiber “tree” is contained in the closed environment of the glove box allowing researchers to show its ability to absorb carbon dioxide from the air.

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“We are improving the design of the energy conversion system

from the beginning in such a way that we won’t have to clean up

our mess at the opposite end.” —Alissa Park

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Designing Local Solutions for the Global Water Crisis

for those who have never experienced a lack of freshwater,

the devastation to life and hope is hard to imagine. take for

example maria Joselivia de oliveira freitas and her grand-

son hugo in pedra fina, Ceará, brazil. to get water for their

house, hugo had to trek to a lake kilometers away eight to

10 times each day. Hugo could not get to school until he had

made many trips. He was never on time. And after school,

Hugo made more water trips; studying or playing with friends

was often impossible. It was exhausting.

For people like Maria and Hugo, no clean water means ill health,

failed education and no prospects. When a PepsiCo Foundation

grant funded the Columbia Water Center’s research and a dem-

onstration project that brought fresh, clean water directly into

Maria’s home, Hugo celebrated with fireworks.

Around the world and in the United States, the Water Center

is finding ways to achieve water sustainability. “People think

it’s a local issue, but [water scarcity] is a systemic problem in

many places in the world,” says Upmanu Lall, director of the

Water Center. “Solutions may be local but the nature of

the problem can be addressed globally.” In fact global climate

predictions—long-term forecasts of drought and flood—

enable governments to make “intelligent decisions,” says Lall.

Training local scientists to predict climate trends is critical.

The Water Center’s many programs not only scientifically

research “best practices” but also endeavor to create

sustainable solutions. In Brazil, for example, based on its

research, the Water Center developed a Municipal Water

Plan, a manual that shows each community how to under-

stand its own needs and create local

infrastructure for fresh running water.

In Maria and Hugo’s municipality, the

mayor was so encouraged by the dem-

onstration project that he committed

the rest of his term to

bringing running

“People think it’s a local issue, but

[water scarcity] is a systemic problem in many

places in the world.” —Dr. Upmanu Lall

water to all homes. Equally inspired, the state’s secretary of

agriculture plans to create municipal water management

plans for all of Ceará’s approximately 180 municipalities.

In other places, such as India, the groundwater table is

dropping so low that irreversible contamination looms. “Once

seawater breaks through into the aquifer, it can’t be fixed,” says

Daniel Stellar, former assistant director of the Water Center.

“Already farmers are pumping irrigation water from extraordi-

nary depths … mining groundwater. Rain can’t replenish it.”

The solution lies in promoting a sustainable balance. Cur-

rently, the government helps farmers with free electricity to

pump and irrigate. The Water Center’s plan transforms that

subsidy into cash. Farmers can either spend all their money

on pumping water or they can conserve water with simple

techniques and keep the cash.

Currently implemented in Northern Gujarat, India, the new

program is expected to produce a water savings of 20 to 30

percent. Once demonstrated, it will be a way to preserve the

aquifer and help farmers throughout the subcontinent. “The

broad concept,” says Vijay Modi, director of the Millennium

Villages Infrastructure Programs, “is applicable to everything.

It’s not just about water.” The idea, Modi says, is to help farmers

make better decisions.


“With the PAM (Municipal Water Plan),

the Earth Institute has put solution power

into the hands of poor rural households

choked by insufficient and inconvenient

water supply. The Earth Institute’s model

ensures local ownership and sustainable

management of water resources, which

is increasingly critical during this time of

climate instability. The PAM is relevant,

[as] demonstrated by the speed with which

the model has been adopted by the State

government and [for which it] allocated

funding for replication across 24 munici-

palities. This is effective innovation in real

time. PepsiCo Foundation invested precisely

to make these sorts of improvements

possible. The Earth Institute has created a

valuable tool that can be applied in water-

stressed dry lands around the globe.”

— Claire Lyons, Manager, Global Grant Portfolios PepsiCo Foundation

Far left: Water samples being taken at the reservoir that supplies the Ingá community in the Ceará state of the Northeast Region of Brazil.

Above: Farmers in the Kukarwada district of Gujarat face significant water challenges that the CWC is addressing through a novel policy reform.

Columbia Water Center researchers conducting GIS surveys of land in the Kukarwada district of Gujarat. This detailed mapping is the first of its kind and will be integral to understanding the success of the pilot project.

Above: During the rice season in Punjab, groundwater is pumped whenever power is available, delivering a huge quantity of water to the fields.


engage a middle school student in how conserving energy

directly links to conserving our environment and you just

might revolutionize a child’s life.

Nancy Degnan, executive director of the Center for Environ-

mental Research and Conservation (CERC), lights up when

talking about the power of hands-on science. “We focus

especially on middle schools,” Degnan says about CERC’s

K–12 New York City education programming. “Attendance in

middle school is highly correlated to performance in high

school. Recent reports show the United States is lagging

behind in science and math as we continue to see low rates

of high school graduation. Getting and keeping students

excited about science means that they are more likely to

come to school and perform better in all subject areas.” The

benefit is that today’s middle school students will be tomorrow’s

environmental leaders. “Sustainability means supporting

youth to obtain and promote lives of socioeconomic and

environmental well-being and fulfillment. That’s what we are

ultimately all about.”

CERC is an active force in revitalizing New York City’s core

curriculum. “We are deeply committed to doing our part in

President Obama’s “Race to the Top” initiative focusing on

science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) through

the lens of ecology,” says Degnan. “We do this through strong

partnerships with our fellow educators at the secondary level,

as well as organizations in the private and nonprofit sectors.”

The School of Environmental and Applied Sciences (SEAS) at

IS 52 in New York City is one such partner. Serving a popula-

tion of predominantly Latino students, it is one of five middle

schools participating in the Inter-School Environment and

Energy Research Project funded through an initiative of the

National Science Foundation called TREES (Technology,

Breathing New Life Into New York City Schools

Above: Students receive a medal from CERC due to their hard work on learning more about ecology and how to protect our planet.

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Research, Ecology Exchange for Students). TREES focuses

on STEM learning and 21st-century skills and careers, and

includes partners in the nonprofit and business sectors that

also practice the STEM model.

Starting with a hypothesis, teams of students used special

equipment to monitor the flow of energy to appliances and

devices throughout their schools like smart boards, vending

machines, and computers. Students then analyzed their

results, made recommendations, and gave real-world “brief-

ings” as interschool energy consultants.

Pam Scott, a literacy teacher at IS 52, commented, “When

Nancy first told us about the term vampire energy and the

Modlet, a brand-new product designed by engineers at

ThinkEco and Junior Energy, we all got very enthused. They

want to combat the problem of the energy wasted when

appliances are in standby mode. We knew it was a perfect

fit for our students. They learned a tremendous amount and

can’t wait for Phase II next year when we branch out into our

community. We’re also going to be looking for concrete evi-

dence of increases in student performance. This is truly

cutting-edge.”

Above right: Nancy Degnan, CERC’s Executive Director, discusses environmental sustainability issues with middle school students.

Bottom left and above right: Students from IS 52 Inwood discuss their final presentation for the Interschool Energy Project held at the new Science and Engineering Building at Columbia University on April 2, 2011.

“Sustainability means supporting youth to obtain and promote lives of socioeconomic and environmental well-being and fulfillment. That’s what we are ultimately all about.”

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it’s an exciting time when scientific research directly sup-

ports efforts to transform a landscape with local food

systems that are able to maintain an entire community,

health systems that can provide services for the local pop-

ulation and energy systems that supply an infrastructure

for sustainable growth. in the south of haiti, that transfor-

mation is poised to happen now.

A new Millennium Villages Project (MVP) is being launched in

Haiti’s Port-à-Piment watershed area, one of the poorest

regions in the Western hemisphere. The Port-à-Piment proj-

ect is uniquely poised for scale-up and will evolve within the

broader regional Côte Sud Initiative, which covers 10 com-

munes throughout Southwestern Haiti. The Earth Institute, in

partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme,

the Government of Haiti and organizations such as Catholic

Relief Services and the Organisation pour la Réhabilitation de

l’Environnement, has helped form a collaborative platform to

implement MVP successes at a regional scale from the start.

“The ability to expand regionally right from the beginning is

critical,” says Alex Fischer, the Haiti project manager at the

Center for International Earth Sciences Information Network

(CIESIN). Fischer, who was in Port-au-Prince when the 2010

earthquake struck, has been conducting research in the coun-

try for the past two years. “We have been researching the links

between ecosystem restoration projects in Haiti and efforts to

improve livelihoods and reduce the risk of natural disasters.”

To address root causes, says Fischer, “we need an integrated

solutions approach. The Millennium Villages Project is the

best way to do that.”

The MVPs are by their very nature interdisciplinary, integrat-

ing strategies to alleviate malnutrition, poor potable water

access, disease, poverty, gender inequalities, lack of educa-

tion and inadequate shelter simultaneously, as each problem

perpetuates the others, creating negative cycles of poverty.

The South of Haiti: Poised on the Brink of Change


Currently pressures inside Haiti are higher than ever because

of last year’s earthquake. “There was a rural migration to

cities before the earthquake. Afterward, people went back to

the countryside,” Fischer says. In places such as Port-à-

Piment, the population nearly doubled due to a massive influx

of displaced persons. “The pressure on natural resources

became even more visible.”

Some specific initiatives for the new MVP, which will support

over 30,000 residents, are increasing crop yields through train-

ing and improved inputs, improving energy systems with solar

power and easy cell phone–based payment systems, reducing

vulnerability to weather-related events through early warning

systems, supporting a viable healthcare system and monitor-

ing results by using proven cell phone–based technology.

The success of the Haiti MVP and regional initiative is linked

to relationships built at the local, regional and national levels.

Establishing and strengthening these relationships has been

an important component of the Earth Institute’s work in Haiti

for the past two years through the efforts of Tatiana Wah,

Haiti policy director and national Millennium Development

Goals adviser. Wah serves as the Prime Minister’s adviser

and also as the strategy and planning director of the Interim

Haitian Reconstruction Commission. “The link to national policy

makers is providing the critical forum to share and integrate

lessons learned at a local and regional level,” says Wah.

“The Government of Haiti has embraced the model of an

integrated and science-based approach to development,”

Wah says. “Designed to scale up, the Port-à-Piment MVP

and broader Côte Sud Initiative represent a real opportunity

to reimagine Haiti.”

Far left: The use of terraces, erosion barriers and perennial crops are some hillside management techniques being used to reduce runoff and erosion in the village.

Left: 3D Visualization of the Port-à-Piment watershed. Source: CIESIN, 2010.

“We need an integrated solutions approach. The Millennium Villages Project is the best way to do that.”

Trial and demonstration plots help researchers measure different yield rates based on seed variety and fertilizer application.

Animals continue to serve as one of the primary forms of saving for rural Haitian families, yet they can be destructive to hillsides and vegetation.


only decades ago, environmental concerns were peripheral

to business, a few bumps in the road toward the central

concern of making product and profit. that landscape has

changed. “Going forward,” says Steven Cohen, executive

director of the Earth Institute, “every effective manager has to

be a sustainability manager.”

With its new jointly-offered Master of Science in Sustainability

Management, the Earth Institute and Columbia University’s

School of Continuing Education are on their way to becoming

leaders of this trend. “We’re getting students from all over the

world,” says Cohen. “There’s nothing [else] quite like it.”

Chak Cherdsatirkul, one of the program’s first graduates,

wasn’t thinking much beyond learning Chinese and getting a

job when he graduated from college with a degree in economics.

Once he started working as a consultant in Thailand, however,

sustainability came to the forefront. “I was helping a company

do a study on how to use municipal solid waste to replace

coal,” says Chak. “Energy has such an impact. It’s there in

every person’s life.” As Chak worked in a variety of jobs, his

enthusiasm for small renewable energy projects grew.

A Growing Cohort of Sustainability Management Professionals

“I wanted to develop a solar farm,” Chak says, “but I realized

I didn’t have enough knowledge. I don’t have an engineering

background.” To pursue his goal, Chak decided to enroll in

Columbia’s master’s program in sustainability management.

The master’s program appeals especially to professionals like

Chak. Part time or full time, the program integrates five sub-

ject areas: public policy, economics, the physical dimensions

of sustainability management, general and financial manage-

ment, and integrative sustainability courses. Students from

across different business sectors join a unique, interdisciplinary

community, enabling them to apply sustainability manage-

ment to any organization.

The diverse resources of New York City contribute to the pro-

gram’s richness, as well. Professionals working in the field

often teach, and students culminate their studies with a New

York City “capstone” project. Working with a local nonprofit,

students create a real-world sustainable solution to a real-life

problem in their local community.

“The program is so flexible,” says Chak. “I’ve studied en-

ergy business and finance, sustainability architecture and

Left: The sun setting over the New York City skyline during a blackout.

Right, top: Dr. Steve Cohen addresses his M.S. in Sustainability class.

Bottom, right: M.S. in Sustainability graduates Chak Cherdsatirkul and Shinsuke Nuriya.

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photovoltaics.” Furthermore Chak has had the opportunity

to access the many experts on campus. “I’ve talked to pro-

fessors in the School of Engineering,” Chak says. “Whatever

I am interested in.” A guest speaker was particularly inspiring

because he, like Chak, had no engineering background and

yet he founded a wind farm in Massachusetts.

Today Chak is pursuing his dream to make a significant con-

tribution to the world by working in renewable energy. His

next steps toward developing a solar farm will be to work with

private equity and development firms in Southeast Asia. It’s

an exciting time for the Earth Institute, as well. With its first

graduates launched into business, the Earth Institute looks

forward to swelling the ranks of business professionals who

will lead the global sustainability movement.

preparing the next generation of environmental and sustainable development leaders

The Earth Institute is dedicated to training

a new generation of scientists and policy

makers and currently has more than 800

students enrolled in its academic programs.

It was the first institution in the United States

to offer a doctoral program in Sustainable

Development and includes an Interdisci-

plinary Ph.D. in Sustainable Development

and a Ph.D. program in Earth and Environ-

mental Sciences.

Our specialized master’s degree programs

serve as models for universities around the

world that are working to incorporate sus-

tainable development studies into their

curricula. At present, we offer master’s pro-

grams in Climate and Society, Conservation,

Earth and Environmental Science Journalism,

Earth Resources Engineering, Sustainability

Management, Environmental Health Sci-

ences, Environmental Science and Policy,

Energy and Environment, Environment

Graduate Global Classroom, and Public

Administration in Development Practice.

The Earth Institute’s new undergraduate

major in Sustainable Development is one of

the first degree programs of its kind in the

United States. Moreover it provides students

with the option of applying to the Global

Fellows Program, which enables participants

to study abroad, join research projects, or

work outside the Columbia campus.

For more information about the Earth

Institute’s educational programs, please visit

www.earth.columbia.edu/education.

John

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when the deepwater horizon explosion left crude oil gush-

ing from a wellhead 1,544 meters under the waters of the

gulf of mexico, no one knew for sure how fast the oil was

escaping. although the government raised its initial esti-

mate of 1,000 barrels per day to 5,000, scientists examining

aerial photos suggested that this estimate was still too low.

“Others,” says Timothy Crone, a marine geophysicist at the

Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, “suggested the flow

could not be measured at all.”

Crone knew otherwise. “As soon as I saw the video,” Crone

says, referring to the first underwater clip of the broken well-

head, “I knew it could be measured.”

Back in 2006, while researching hydrothermal vents deep

underwater, Crone developed a special measurement tech-

nique called “optical plume velocimetry.” By analyzing video

of the underwater flow from the vents, Crone was able to

calculate the rate of flow accurately. When Crone saw BP’s

video of the underwater gusher, he knew his technique,

designed to observe a natural phenomenon, could also mea-

sure the rate at which oil was pouring from a man-made

structure into the Gulf.

“I felt it was important for me to help,” says Crone. Fortu-

nately he was funded to do so. Researchers are often limited

by their specifically targeted federal grants. But because

Lamont-Doherty’s endowment covers a portion of Crone’s

salary, he could devote some time to new or unexpected

projects and was able to start immediately.

Using that initial video clip, Crone was able to provide a rough

estimate of the crude oil flow rate within a day. As he had

suspected, the rate was more than the 5,000 barrel-a-day

estimate, a good deal more. The next day, Crone’s findings

were reported on National Public Radio, making him one of

the first to publicly challenge official oil-flow estimates.

Assessing the Magnitude of a Disaster

“I felt it was important for me to help,” says

Crone. Fortunately Crone was funded to do so.

Above, left: Clean-up crews comb the oil-covered beaches of the Gulf of Mexico.

Carlos Sanchez, OOI-RSN Enlighten’10 cruise, University of Washington

AP

Imag

es

All Crone needed for greater accuracy was better quality

video, and he got it from several lawmakers involved in the

congressional hearings relating to the spill. With the help of

his colleague, Lamont-Doherty marine geophysicist Maya

Tolstoy, Crone determined that oil was flowing into the gulf at

about 10 times the official estimate: 56,000 barrels a day.

Their findings later appeared in the journal Science—the first

peer-reviewed published estimate—and agreed closely with

the eventual official figures.

More than a year after the Deepwater Horizon explosion, the fate

of the Gulf’s ecosystem is still unclear. “We don’t really under-

stand how the oil has degraded,” says Ajit Subramaniam, a

biological oceanographer at Lamont-Doherty, “or what chemical

and biological changes have occurred.” Without such under-

standing, it becomes harder for Subramaniam and his

colleagues to predict the long-term effects of such disasters.

One thing is clear: Channeling financial resources into basic

earth science allows today’s scientific breakthroughs to serve

as solutions for tomorrow’s environmental challenges.

“A key lesson here,” Crone says, “is that basic research in the

earth sciences can often have unanticipated value and

applications for society as a whole. This is a case where my

research into an esoteric problem was all of a sudden appli-

cable to a very immediate problem, something that was front

and center in the minds of people all over the world.”

Left: Tim Crone at work on his VentCam, a sophisticated video camera he designed that captures images of water seeping out of hydrothermal vents.

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what struck him first was the sweltering heat, the crowds,

and the aK-47s slung over the shoulders of the men “as if they

were an accessory.” In that moment, School of International

and Public Affairs (SIPA) graduate Ryan Marriott knew he was

going to learn more than just how to collect field data in Nigeria.

“No matter how mentally prepared you think you might be for

the level of poverty and underdevelopment,” says Marriott,

“nothing can substitute for really living it.”

Field education is a valuable part of a sustainable develop-

ment curriculum, and the Earth Institute has long offered field

internships that enhance and expand students’ learning. The

Earth Institute will soon launch the Global Fellows Program,

created with a generous gift from the Denning Family

A CLASSROOM IN THE FIELD

Foundation, which will give undergraduate students studying

sustainable development the opportunity to take their aca-

demic studies into the real world. Graduate students such as

Marriott currently receive funding from donors like Ceil and

Michael Pulitzer, which provides them with field experience

that teaches them how to abandon preconceptions and cre-

ate unique solutions in a way no book or professor can.

“You often have that moment when you realize the theory

doesn’t apply, or applies in a different way than you thought,”

says Kevin Griffin, associate professor and interim director of

the Special Concentration in Sustainable Development.

“Even if they become theoreticians,” Griffin adds, “they un-

derstand the real processes.”

Fieldwork in Zaria, Nigeria, gave SIPA graduate Jessica Garrels

“a firsthand look at the challenges of qualitative research

when it’s driven from the outside.” Garrels says, “internships

make you more aware of possible best practices and poten-

tial pitfalls; they help you think outside the box.”

Without fail, students who have experienced working in

real-life, on-the-ground environments report a profound shift

in commitment.

“It gives you motivation,” says Tal Lee Anderman, a School of

General Studies senior majoring in sustainable development,

“figuring out what’s important to you—you need that face-

to-face experience.” Anderman says statistics “become

individuals you care about.”

“You hear how many people die of malaria, malnutrition,”

says Mitsue Yamamoto, a SIPA student and Pulitzer intern

who witnessed this firsthand in Gumulira, Malawi. “Peoples’

lives become numbers. You think: Why am I doing this? Then

I saw the people in the village, people struggling with malaria,

hunger.” Yamamoto talks about the trip’s impact on her emo-

tions and how it clarified her life’s direction. “I still keep in

touch with people there.”

Fieldwork does more than make a student into a professional.

It builds character and adds resolve. This essential part of our

sustainable development programming will build a cadre of

committed leaders.

“It’s a chance to know what everyone is talking about and

why the Institute’s work is so important,” says Ryan Marriott.

“Sure, it’s great for the résumé, but it was really great for Ryan

the person.”

Far left: Global Fellow Derek Nelson digs a well in the maize fields of the Sauri Millennium Village in Kenya.

Left: Student Tal Lee gets inspiration for her senior thesis on a trip to Peru.

Above, left: Students discuss their respective projects in Hogan Hall. They are (from left) Tal Lee Anderman (junior, General Studies), Erin Stahmer (junior, Columbia College), Ryan Marriott (senior, SIPA) and Jessica Garrels (senior, SIPA).

In the fall of 2010 Columbia University

launched its first new undergraduate

degree in 50 years, a Bachelor of Arts in

Sustainable Development, currently co-

directed by Professors Ruth DeFries and

Jason Smerdon. Responding to the need

for a workforce that is both internationally

and environmentally conscious, the Earth

Institute collaborated with Columbia Col-

lege, the School of General Studies and

departments across Columbia University

to create a degree program that would give

students the holistic education and skill set

necessary to become future leaders.

The Sustainable Development program

consists of a major and special concentra-

tion and gives Columbia undergraduates

the opportunity to explore the interplay

between the natural and social systems

that impact our world’s economic, political

and environmental well-being.


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Refining Climate Prediction in Africa

africa trails the developed world in the number of weather

stations it operates but still produces a large amount of

data. Unfortunately, few scientists have access to that data,

which could lead to more accurate short- and long-term

climate forecasts, allowing farmers, relief workers and public

health experts to plan for and manage climate-related events.

The reason: In order to offset the cost of running their weather

services, most African countries must charge a fee for their

data. In recent commentary published in the journal Nature,

Madeleine Thomson, a malaria expert at the International

Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI), argues that

an alternative funding mechanism would help Africans better

fight disease. Then she and her colleagues demonstrated

how to do it, with a paper using climate data collected in

Kenya suggesting that recent increases in malaria there could

have a climatic basis.

In Kenya some 1,500 weather stations gather detailed climate

information, but data from only a few dozen of those stations

are publicly available. Airlines are willing to pay for some extra

information, but most researchers cannot. As a result, scien-

tists must rely heavily on global satellite data, which produce

less accurate climate models. For the last decade, researchers

have debated whether Kenya’s highlands are getting hotter—

a question that might begin to explain why new cases of

malaria rose dramatically in the 1980s and 1990s. In a paper

published in Malaria Journal earlier this year, IRI scientist

Judy Omumbo and her colleagues showed conclusively that

the region had warmed by 0.6 degree Celsius since 1979. In

short order they were able to resolve a question that others

had wrestled with for years because they gained access to

climate data from a regional tea plantation that had never

before been analyzed. Omumbo worked closely with a

researcher in the Kenya Meteorological Department who

helped them analyze the data and who ultimately became a

coauthor on the malaria paper. Collaborating in this way not

only provides access to new data sets, it builds the scientific

capacity within African institutions.

Tufa Dinku, an IRI researcher who was born in Ethiopia, has

established similar collaborations in his home country. How-

ever, if these breakthroughs are to continue, policy makers

must rethink current funding mechanisms for accessing

Africa’s climate data in order to ensure this information is

available to those who stand to benefit from it. Thomson and

her colleagues at IRI are not alone in their thinking. The Gates

Foundation and the philanthropic arm of Google have also

been pushing to open Africa’s climate archive to the world.

Any solution also needs to guarantee that the national

weather services are adequately funded to collect, distribute

and support the data.

Above: With climate data from Kenya’s Kericho Tea Estates, IRI’s Judy Omumbo (right) confirms that the region has been warming.

Right: Kenyan tea farmer.

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in 2010 five glaxosmithKline (gsK) employees lent their

skills to the earth institute’s millennium Cities initiative

(mCi) by delivering vital social services in public health and

education through gsK’s pulse volunteer partnership.

The PULSE program builds upon GSK’s mission—to improve

the quality of human life through its products—empowering

GSK employees to apply their knowledge and skills toward

addressing the needs and challenges of impoverished rural

and urban communities through a three- or six-month immer-

sion experience. Following the success of the initial year of

this partnership, in 2011 PULSE has provided 18 full-time

volunteers to work with the Earth Institute.

One of the 2010 volunteers, Mayuko Hashimoto, a medical

information specialist from Tokyo, completed a six-month

immersion in Kisumu, Kenya. Hashimoto worked toward im-

plementing a neonatal and maternal mortality survey in Kisumu’s

public health facilities. Working closely with MCI’s public health

specialist for Kisumu, Hashimoto assessed the existing capac-

ity of Kisumu’s four public health centers to provide delivery,

neonatal, and maternal healthcare services for the city.

Like Hashimoto, Noxolo Doris

Tshambuluka of South Africa

applied her own expertise in

R&D and clinical health to

conduct surveys on maternal

and newborn mortality and

institutional delivery in two

Millennium Cities. After

spending three months in Mekelle, Ethiopia, Tshambuluka

continued her much-needed work in Blantyre, Malawi.

Once aggregated, the data that Hashimoto and Tshambuluka

gathered will assist local health officials in their work to

reduce the incidence of maternal and neonatal morbidity and

mortality in these cities.

Michelle Wobker, a pharmaceutical engineer in North Carolina,

volunteered her talents for MCI’s Kumasi-NYC School2School

program. School2School is a public-private partnership

among Columbia University Teachers College, New York

public schools, Ericsson and Airtel Ghana aimed at strength-

ening the uses of instructional technology in science and math

education. To help address the need for capable teachers,

Wobker helped train dozens of seventh-grade science, math,

and IT teachers as well as assistant principals in 15 Kumasi

middle schools, developing a groundbreaking teacher’s guide

to using the computer and the Internet.

Two GSK employees from Europe, Dorella Camiletti and

Steffi Gantner, served as supply chain management consul-

tants to the Metropolitan Health Directorates in Kumasi and

Accra, Ghana’s largest cities. Camiletti and Gantner devoted

their efforts to reviewing existing systems within the two cities’

health facilities, conducting inventory analyses and presenting

recommendations to streamline performance and service de-

livery. Their efforts brought together stakeholders in Ghana’s

healthcare system to exchange information and share the

most efficient practices in healthcare management.

In addition to the PULSE program, GlaxoSmithKline and the

Earth Institute have embarked on a joint effort in the Millennium

Villages Project (MVP) to apply the Personal Hygiene and San-

itation Education (PHASE) methodology in two MVP clusters in

Malawi and Senegal. The goal of PHASE is to achieve behavior

change around hand-washing, personal hygiene and sanita-

tion to reduce morbidity and mortality and to improve overall

sanitation infrastructure to support these practices.

GSK PULSE volunteer Michelle Staben Wobker in the midst of students dancing at the Parents’ Day Celebration at the State Experimental Basic 1 and 2 in Kumasi, Ghana, in December 2010.

The PULSE program builds upon GSK’s

mission—to improve the quality of human life through its products.

annual donor report 2011 annual donor report 2011

Volunteers improve health initiatives in Millennium Cities


More than 30 interdisciplinaryresearch centers and programs are home to over

who work with the latest technology to

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deliver real-world solutions.

850 scientists, postdoctoral fellows and students


More than 30 interdisciplinaryresearch centers and programs are home to over

who work with the latest technology to

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despite a slowed economic recovery we continue to make

progress in our efforts to support and expand the educa-

tional and research programs and initiatives at the earth

institute. with the extraordinary and sustained support of

our donors and partners, we exceeded our $200 million

campaign goal almost a year ahead of schedule, ending the

year having raised nearly $23 million from individuals,

corporations, foundations and organizations. Thanks to this

milestone the Earth Institute has expanded its campaign goal by

$100 million to $300 million, to be completed by December 31,

2013. A transformational gift of $10 million from Sue and Bill

Gross has already given the expanded campaign a boost.

They stated, “We are thrilled that our gift is helping kick off the

expansion of the Earth Institute’s campaign and know that,

with Jeff’s commitment, this will continue to be a good invest-

ment for humanity.”

Earlier this year Jeffrey Sachs announced that he would be

extending his term as director. Since his tenure began in

2002, Jeff has led the Earth Institute to become a leading

scientific authority on sustainable development while simul-

taneously expanding its reach worldwide. He has also forged

an increasingly prominent role for academic leaders in policy

and program work throughout the world. Recognized globally

as a leading figure on sustainable development and economics,

Jeff’s advisement is sought out by global leaders, govern-

ments and the United Nations. He has significantly grown the

Earth Institute’s programs both at home and abroad—

increasing the number of major research units from six to 15,

adding seven academic programs and more than tripling the

membership of the Earth Institute faculty to nearly 40 experts.

On June 6, 2011, we welcomed Carol Pooser as the new direc-

tor of funding initiatives. Carol comes to the Earth Institute

from the University of Pennsylvania, where she was respon-

sible for the major gift program for the School of Arts and

Sciences. Over the past 20 years she has held leadership

positions in research and higher education at institutions

including the Marine Biological Laboratory at Woods Hole

and the Florida Museum of Natural History. We are very ex-

cited to welcome Carol, whose personal and professional

background make her a wonderful addition to the funding

Extraordinary Support for Unprecedented Global Challenges

Above, front row, from left: Samanatha Tress, Urania Mylonas, Terri Harris, Dove Pedlosky, Jasmina Metjaic. Back row, from left: Evan Phalon, Ronnie Anderson, Paula Sharp, Gregory Fienhold, Barbara Charbonnet, Carol Pooser, Lisa Phillips, Erika Freimuth, Stacey Vassallo.

With the extraordinary and sustained support

of our donors and partners, we exceeded

our $200 million campaign goal almost

a year ahead of schedule.

Mic

hael

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Financial StatementJuly 1, 2010 – June 30, 2011

initiatives team and an ideal candidate to lead the develop-

ment operation at the Earth Institute.

We were extremely pleased that the John D. and Catherine T.

MacArthur Foundation awarded a $1 million grant to help

improve the health of mothers and children in poor, rural com-

munities within the Millennium Villages Project (MVP). These

funds will support activities to increase access to quality sexual

and reproductive health services, continue our advisory work

and assist governments with national scale-up programs and

best practices throughout sub-Saharan Africa.

We were also gratified by Ikea’s generous award of $4.5 million

in support of three additional Model Districts in Rajasthan,

Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, India, projects focusing on key

interventions for the survival of women and children,

including care during pregnancy, safe deliveries, newborn

care, immediate care for sick children and important nutrition

interventions. The overall project goal is to support district

and state governments to improve family health outcomes and

serve as models for regional scale-up in an effort to acceler-

ate national progress toward Millennium Development Goals

in India, a country that carries the world’s greatest burden of

reproductive health, child health and nutrition issues.

Mill

ions

ProjectedActual

20122004 2006 2008 20102005 2007 2009 2011

300

250

200

150

100

50

Direct Revenue$122,443

Gifts$16,68014%

Foundation Grants$20,59018%

Endowment Income, Net Tuition and Fees $6,173 5%

Government Grants$71,195

63%

Direct Expenses$126,141

Dollar amounts in thousands.Source: Office of Finance and Administration, The Earth Institute

Research$68,650

54%

General Administration$14,52012%

Instructional and Educational Activities$27,35822%

Operations, Maintenance, Equipment, Other$15,614 12%

Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs announces the extension of his term as Director of the Earth Institute to donors and supporters at President’s House.

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OUR DONORS

thank you to our donors

We greatly appreciate the support of donors

like you, the individuals, corporations, founda-

tions, foreign governments and multilateral

organizations who have supported and part-

nered with us in our work. With your help, we

continue to advance the science, technologies

and policies needed to develop practical solu-

tions for our planet’s complex challenges. You

are part of an invaluable group of supporters

who have been instrumental in allowing us to

continue to find solutions to achieve sustain-

able development.

The following is a summary list of the 2011 fiscal

year (July 1, 2010–June 30, 2011) donors to

the Earth Institute and all its affiliated units,

including the largest, the Lamont-Doherty

Earth Observatory.

We are deeply grateful to those who have

shown extraordinary generosity and commit-

ment to the Earth Institute since our founding.

Individuals and organizations whose cumula-

tive gifts and pledges have exceeded $1 million

are recognized in the following pages.

A generous gift from Karl G. Homberg of more than $1.2 million

has allowed the Columbia Climate Center to develop a mas-

ter’s level program in carbon management that aims to train

the new workforce needed to meet the challenge of reducing

carbon dioxide emission. The program will provide interdisci-

plinary understanding of the physical, natural and social

sciences, engineering, economics, business and law and will

be the first of its kind in the United States.

To secure the best resources for our researchers, we continue

to prioritize fund-raising for the most advanced infrastructure.

In 2010 the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory was awarded

a $1.4 million matching grant from the National Institute of

Standards and Technology to complete the final laboratory in

the Gary C. Comer Geochemistry Building. Once completed,

this facility will be the most sophisticated ultra clean lab for

geochemical analyses in academia, attracting top talent—

students as well as professors—to the Observatory’s campus.

Such laboratories are essential to future innovation,

facilitating opportunities for collaboration across the university

and the wider international community. We are grateful to

the more than 110 Lamont-Doherty alumni and friends who

have made gifts or pledges totaling $900,000 to meet the

federal match. Among these, we extend special thanks to an

anonymous donor, to the Botwinick-Wolfensohn Foundation,

to George L. Becker Jr. and his family and to the Office of

Columbia’s Executive Vice President for Research.

With 30 percent of our $300 million campaign goal yet to be

raised, the continued commitment of our loyal donors and

friends will be instrumental in helping us meet our 2013 goal.

More importantly, these funds will help us train the next

generation of leaders and enable our world-class scientists

and staff to continue their important work to secure a more

sustainable Earth.


Benefactors

We are deeply grateful to those who have shown extraordinary generosity and commitment to the Earth Institute since our beginning. Individuals and organizations whose cumulative gifts and pledges have exceeded $1 million or more are recognized below.

Anonymous (4)

Nancy K. and Randy Best

The Central Weather Bureau

Gary C. Comer and the Comer Science and Education Foundation

Estate of Esther C. Dauch

The Henry L. and Grace Doherty Charitable Foundation

Joseph Ellis ’64CC and Barbara Ellis ’64BC, ’65GSAS

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Glaser Progress Foundation

Bill and Sue Gross

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

Karl G. Homberg ’69BUS

International Center for Tropical Agriculture

H. F. “Gerry” Lenfest, Esq. ’58LAW and Marguerite Brooks Lenfest

Stephen Lewis Foundation

The MAC Global Foundation

John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

Sara Miller McCune

Merck & Company Incorporated

The Countess Moira Charitable Foundation

Ambrose Monell Foundation

Monsanto Company

MSST Foundation

The Overbrook Foundation

The David and Lucille Packard Foundation

Palisades Geophysical Institute

Betsee Parker

Jerome M. Paros ’63 GSAS

PepsiCo Foundation

The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation

The Principality of Monaco

The Ceil and Michael E. Pulitzer Foundation

V. Kann Rasmussen Foundation

The Rockefeller Foundation

The Albert B. Sabin Vaccine Institute

Stichting IKEA Foundation

The Tides Foundation

UNICEF

United Nations Development Programme

UnitedHealth Foundation

The G. Unger Vetlesen Foundation

Volvo Stiftelseforvaltning

$1,000,000 and Above

Glaser Progress Foundation

KGH Nature gGmbH

(Karl G. Homberg ’69BUS and Elizabeth L. Homberg)

The Lenfest Foundation

(H. F. “Gerry” Lenfest, Esq. ’58LAW and Marguerite Brooks Lenfest)

Merck & Company Incorporated

Betsee Parker

PepsiCo Foundation

Stichting IKEA Foundation

The Tides Foundation

$500,000–$999,999

Bank of America Charitable Gift Fund

Green Family Foundation

International Center for Tropical Agriculture

The G. Unger Vetlesen Foundation

United Nations Development Programme

$100,000–$499,999

Anonymous (2)

Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa

Asian Development Bank

George Lawrence Becker Jr., M.D. ’62NI and Family

Sime Darby Berhad

The Botwinick-Wolfensohn Foundation, Incorporated

Comer Science and Education Foundation

DAI

Steven and Roberta Denning P:’06CC

General Electric Corporation

Charities Aid Foundation

Global Climate Change Foundation

Google Inc. Charitable Giving Fund of Tides Foundation

Harold Grinspoon and Diane Troderman

Jocelyn and Kenneth Kam Biu Hung P: ’10CC, ’13CC

Inter-American Development Bank

International Federation of Red Cross

The McKnight Foundation

Ministero dell’ Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio

Monsanto Company

Nestlé

Novartis Stifung fur Nachhaltige Entwicklung

Open Society Institute

Oxfam-America, Inc.

Michael E. Pulitzer

The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation

The Rockefeller Foundation

The Albert B. Sabin Vaccine Institute

United Nations Environment Programme Trust Fund

United Nations World Food Programme

Robert Weinsten

$50,000–$99,999

Baltimore Community Foundation

The Morton K. and Jane Blaustein Foundation

The Brinson Foundation

Andrew E. Cunagin

Deutsche Bank AG

DSM Nutritional Products

Find Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics

Frank Gumper ’71 GSAS, ’83BUS and Joanne Gumper

Nike Foundation

Riverkeeper, Inc.

UNICEF

United Nations Office in Nairobi

$10,000–$49,999

Agrium, Inc.

Black Rock Forest Consortium

Charles R. Borrok ’93CC, ’01BUS

BPC PLC

Michael Cembalest ’86SIPA and Rachel Hines

Gary M. Cohen

Consolidated Edison Company of New York

The Education Foundation of Alpine

Electricite De France International N.A. Inc.

Exxon Mobil Corporation

John E. Fetzer Institute (John Fetzer ’57GSAS)

Hudson River Foundation for Science & Environmental Research

Johnson & Johnson

Robert S. Kaplan Foundation

Nicole Alger and Zachary Eli Karabell, Ph.D. ’88CC

Aaron J. Lebovitz ’92 CC and Donna T. Myers ’92CC, ’96BUS

Arthur Lerner-Lam

Stephen Lewis Foundation (Steven Lewis, ’70 GSAS)

The MAIA Foundation

Mr. John Maguire

Dr. Florentin J-M. R. Maurrasse ’73GSAS

The Nature Conservancy

Wildlife Conservation Society

Permanent Mission of Norway

Pfizer Incorporated

Laurance Rockefeller, Esq. ’74LAW

Joshua Nalibow Ruxin ’94PH

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Shirley F. and Walter Wang ’93BUS

Edward M. Stuart

Swiss Confederation

Swiss Reinsurance Company

The New World Foundation

Vale Moçambique Limitada

Walmart Stores Incorporated

Dr. John O. Wheeler ’56GSAS

Jacob J. Worenklein ’70CC, P:’93CC

Gregory and Jacquelyn Zehner

$1,000–$9,999

Anonymous

Susana Beatriz Adamo

Dr. Dennis M. Adler ’77GSAS, ’79GSAS, ’82GSAS and Robin Aronow

Aid for Africa

Prof. O. Roger Anderson

The Atkinson Family Foundation

Becton Dickinson and Company

Barbara A. Becker

Black Forest Consortium

Nancy P. Blaustein

Charles V. Callan ’78CC

Dr. Mary Ann Chapman

Chevron Products Company

Dr. Millard F. Coffin ’81GSAS, ’82GSAS, ’85GSAS

Holly Delany Cole

Alexander M. de Sherbinin

Dr. Jishu Deng ’93GSAS, ’96GSAS, ’97GSAS and Ms. Yuan Yuan

Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation

The Henry L. & Grace Doherty Charitable Foundation

Estelle E. Ellis-Rubinstein

Peter and Pauline Eschweiler

Dr. Andrew Farnsworth

David Goodman

The Jeffrey Stuart Gould Foundation

Dr. John Kendrick Hall ’70GSAS

Carolyn R. Herman

Dr. Ellen M. Herron ’67GSAS, ’74GSAS and

Dr. Thomas J. Herron ’66 GSAS

Matthew Leon Hill ’02EN

Kyle Himmerick and Stacy Moscow

Charles Hirschler ’81BUS

InfoStructure, Incorporated

INIA Fontagro

Marc and Judy Joseph

Prof. Joan W. Konner ’61JN

Dr. Lillian Protz Langseth ’90PH

Eileen Lawal

Dr. Wendy Epstein, MD and Lawrence R. Lynn P:’13CC

Dr. John Patrick McGinnis ’95GSAS

Bernadette Murphy

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

The Amy Klette Newman Foundation

The George W. & Amy Newman Foundation

Thomas O’Brien

Dr. Virginia McConn Oversby ’67GSAS, ’69GSAS and Lars Werme

Panthera Corporation

Payette Associates, Incorporated

Seth Perlman

Boon Keong Poh

Frederick William Post

Helene Presskreischer

Martine and Michael Rawson ’75GSAS

Dr. James H. Robertson ’75GSAS

Dr. Oswald A. Roels

Dr. Joanna Rubinstein

Dr. William B. F. Ryan ’71GSAS and Judy Ryan

Laurence A. Shadek

William H. Sherer

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church

Dr. Claire Stampfer ’73CC and Dr. Meir J. Stampfer P:’07CC, ’09CC, ’11CC

Michael Steinhardt P: ’97CC

Surfer’s Environmental Alliance

Thornton Tomasetti Foundation

Volvo Stiftelseforvaltning

Ira Jay Wagner

Suzan Kotler Wasserman ’75LAW

Water Research Foundation

Allen Wright

$500–$999

Columbia University Club of Bergen, Passaic, and Rockland Counties

Dr. Gerald D. Abrams

Walter and Mildred Alvarez

Dr. Thomas F. Anderson ’67GSAS

Pierre and Nedaleine Biscaye

Brendan Carney

Kim Casey

Dr. Kenneth W. Ciriacks ’62GSAS and Linda Ciriacks

Steven A. Cohen

Eryl Court

Bruce Davidson

Dr. Thomas Jelstrup Fitch ’71GSAS and Rosemary M. Fitch

James B. Gaherty

Brian Godon

Dr. Mark Hilberman ’60GSAS

Robert Louis Hoguet III ’73BUS

Dr. Kenneth Watkins Hudnut ’86GSAS, ’89GSAS and Dana Jean Coyle

Stanley Jacobs

Kevin Laven

William and Olga Ludwig

Ruth R. Maier

Collen Mayer

Roger Mellick

Edith B. Miller

Cathy J. Neuman

Katie Pierson

G. Michael Purdy

Richard Reckmeyer

Dr. Richard Seager ’86GSAS, ’90GSAS

David and Patricia Simpson

Gerald Sobel

Dr. John Robert Toggweiler ’75CC, ’76GSAS, ’78GSAS, ’83GSAS

United Way of New York City

Richard and Joyce O’Dowd Wallace

Harry S. Van Santford, Jr.

Drs. Xuejin Wang, ’95GSAS, ’96GSAS, and Lingqiao Ma ’96GSAS, ’97GSAS P: ’11EN

Barbara D. Wick

$499 or Less

Kathryn Abrams

Ruth A. Adamowicz

Leonard J. Adams ’61CC

Garrett Adler

Dr. Robert S. Agatston ’52GSAS

Claudia Alba

James J. Alberino ’63BUS and Tuula Pasola-Alberino

Charles P. Alexander ’77JN

OUR DONORS


Jeannine Alexandro

Sarah Alford

Anita Lynn Allen

Mr. Chris Amore

Jean Amore

Rockne S. Anderson ’67GSAS

Eleanor S. Applewhaite ’62LAW

Molly Marie Ashenfelter

Bruce C. Auld ’65EN, ’69GSAS

Luz Maria Aveleyra

Dr. Muawia Barazangi ’71GSAS

Keith Barry

Ronne Bassman-Agins

Maurizio Bau

Matthew C. Baum

Molly C. Bentley

Dr. Ellen Kappel Berman ’82GSAS, ’85GSAS

Pamela and Henry Bischoff

David G. Black Jr.

Lloyd R. Blackledge

Edmund M. Bleich ’52GSAS

Dr. Renee J. Blumstein ’84GSAS, ’84TC, ’86GSAS

Pouyan Bokaei

Marvin and Laura Bolotsky

Sherif Boshra

Dr. Kathryn Thompson Bosley ’88GSAS, ’91GSAS

Caitlin Suzanne Bothwell

Dr. J. Ernest Breeding Jr. ’72GSAS

Hannes and Mary Ann Brueckner

Donna Louise Buono ’91PH

Thomas K. Burch ’80GSAS and Cathryn Burch

Dr. Peter R. Buseck ’62GSAS

Dr. John V. Byrne ’53GSAS

Dr. Steven C. Cande ’77GSAS

Mark and Barbara H. Cane P: ’96CC, ’98CC

Ross S. Cann ’62GSAS

Courtenay Cann

Philip D. Carmichael ’56CC

CEC Stuyvesant Cove, Incorporated

Dr. Richard Paul Cember ’83GSAS, ’88GSAS

Barbara Charbonnet

Paul Charbonnet

Paul Chelminski ’55GSAS

Thomas F. Chisena

Nita G. Christensen

Elissa Claar

Ms. Thea R. Clark

Megan Linnea Clayton

Dr. Bradford Clement ’83GSAS, ’85GSAS and Gail Clement

David M. Cohen

Henry P. Cole Jr.

Sigrid Colgan and John D. Colgan, Jr.

Dr. Robert B. Cook ’76GSAS, ’77GSAS, ’81GSAS

David Corcoran

Dr. Vernon F. Cormier ’76GSAS

Anthony J. Costantini, Esq. ’72LAW

Kathleen Joy Cue

Julian Mauro D’Ambrosi ’96BUS

Richard Davison

George L. De Coster ’44CC, ’48GSAS

Dr. Bruce L. Deck ’76GSAS, ’81GSAS

Barbara Dege

Vivian Del Valle

Ellen Dember

Jeffrey Chunjou Do ’96CC

Kyle Drummond

Dawn Durning-Hammond

Junette Marcia Earl

Dr. Frank Donald Eckelmann ’54GSAS

Dr. Walter Ehrlich

Robert Eisenstadt, Esq. ’66LAW

Dr. Stephen L. Eittreim ’70GSAS and Carole Ann Eittreim

Dr. Brenda Ekwurzel ’95GSAS

Thomas Elszasz

Patrick and Lynn English

Matthew Ryan Epperson

Dr. Robert A. Esser

Lisa Eyler

Dr. Rodger T. Faill ’61GSAS, ’66GSAS

June Falk

“In recent years, Sue and Bill Gross have

donated more than $15 million in support

of Millennium Villages and other projects.

‘We’re happy to support the Earth Institute,’

they say, ‘and to play a role in helping bring

hope and self-sufficiency to some of the

poorest people on the planet who face

almost insurmountable odds in achieving

better lives for themselves and their families.’

The Grosses’ generosity helps empower

hundreds of thousands to fight poverty

and transform their lives. Through critical

and creative ways, their donation will go to

expanding the project throughout Africa.”

—Jeffrey D. Sachs

Mille

nniu

m P

rom

ise


Judith E. Famellette

Melvin M. Feldman, D.D.S. ’53DN

Nazareth Feslehjian

Judith M. Fichtenholtz ’73SW

Marci E. Fiedler ’09SIPA

Gregory L. Fienhold

Dr. Stephen L. Fischer ’94CC, ’95EN

Jay W. Fleischauer

Dr. Myron H. Fliegel ’72GSAS

James Fonda ’07SIPA

Emily Foy

Theodore Franchetti

Rosemary and Eric Free

Dr. Eugene A. Friedberg ’65MD

Shelley Friedman

Prof. Rong Fu ’87GSAS ’89GSAS, ’91GSAS

Dr. Hubert Gabrielse ’55GSAS

Herman Galberd

Cedric Garlick

Dr. Edward A. Garvey ’83GSAS, ’89GSAS, ’90GSAS

Alice H. Gerard

Dr. Billy P. Glass ’68GSAS

Linda M. Goad

Prof. Glenn Goldman ’74CC

Lisa L. Gordon

Hamilton C. Goulart, M.D. and Ann Goulart

Ryan G. Grady

Efrem M. Grail, Esq. ’85SIPA, ’86LAW

James Greenfield

Muriel S. Grim ’63GSAS and Paul Grim

Paul E. Grimshaw

Dr. Judith Grinspan P: ’09CC

Dr. Hongsheng Guo ’92GSAS, ’95GSAS

Sarina W. Gwirtzman

Dr. David Haas

Bruce T. Halstater

Kear F. Halstater

Dr. Douglas E. Hammond ’75GSAS

Sarah Hancock

Timothy B. Harwood

Joan E. Hastings

Miranda Hawins

David K. Heit

Robert Hergenrother

Karen L. Hobson

Dr. Hans J. Holland ’52GSAS

Sidney Hollander Jr.

Dr. Ann Elizabeth Holmes ’93GSAS, ’96GSAS

Lawrence L. Hope

Joan Beth Hornig ’84BUS

Gary Vaughn Huddleston

Dr. Richard W. Hull ’85SIPA, ’68GSAS

Humanity Calls Incorporated

Julia Hunkins

Frank E. Iaquinta, M.D. ’47CC, ’51MD

Thomas and Evelyn Lervolino

Dr. Robert D. Jacobi ’74GSAS, ’80GSAS

Miriam and Sherman Jaffe

James H. Jarrett

Dr. Stephanie H. Jed

Shirley Kalish

Teresa S. Karamanos

Peter S. Karp ’58AR

Ruth Katz

Earle W. Kazis ’58BUS P: ’79BUS, ’88CC, ’93BUS

M. Whitney Keen, ’73GSAS

Dr. Dennis V. Kent ’74GSAS and Carolyn Kent

Dr. Dalia Kirschbaum ’07GSAS, ’08GSAS, ’09GSAS

Jeffrey Kleiman

Dr. David M. Knowles ’67GSAS

John R. Koerber

Theodore R. Koerner, II

Kenneth Daniel Kostel ’03GSAS, ’03JN

Rochelle Marie Krause ’91CC

William G. Kuhns

Prof. John Tsung-Fen and Marilyn Kuo

Clare Labowitch

Eleanor Langella and Amando Langella, Jr.

Jeffrey M. Langer

Diane M. Langmuir

Dr. Gary V. Latham ’65GSAS

Constance Lee

Elaine Lehto

Dr. William Stanley Leith ’80GSAS, ’83GSAS, ’84GSAS

Dr. Yuan Hui Li ’67GSAS

Ira J. List, D.D.S.

Betty Ann Londergan

Dr. Donald W. Lovejoy ’58GSAS

Robert and Marcia Lupton

Dr. Ntungwa Maasha ’75GSAS and Arnetia S. Maasha ’72SW

Dr. Mark Anthony Maddaloni ’98PH

Francesca Maggian

Marvin H. Malater

Maurice Malin

Avanti Niraja Maluste ’08CC

Albon P. Man, Esq. ’40CC, ’50LAW

Arlene and Gilbert Marin

Glenna Marra

Etta L. Martinch

Dr. Arthur F. Mc Garr ’68GSAS and Annette McGarr

Kathleen McGauran

W. Barnabas McHenry, Esq., ’57LAW

P: ’82CC, ’88CC, ’92AC

Dr. Stephen Russell McNutt ’82GSAS, ’84GSAS, ’85GSAS

Suzanne and Richard McQueen

Dr. Estelle K. Meislich ’52GSAS

Dorothy A. Mellett and James Mellett ’66GSAS

Jill Mendez

Rhoda A. Milgrim

George and Silvia Miller

Michael C. Mollica

Dr. Martin W. Molloy ’55CC, ’58GSAS, ’60GSAS

Dr. Sally Bishop Montgomery ’65GSAS

Carol Mountain and Dr. Gregory S. Mountain ’76GSAS, ’80GSAS, ’81GSAS

Urania N. Mylonas ’97JN

Robert and Jeanne Nelson

Dr. Lawrence D. Neuman ’63CC, ’66CC, ’73CC

Hilary Meredith Nierenberg ’87NP, ’98NP, ’07PH

Oscar R. Nordstrom

Arturo Noriega Sevilla

Kennedy B. Norungolo

Dr. Suzanne Bridget O’Connell ’84GSAS, ’86GSAS

Donald A. Offinger

Alice Olick

Donna J. Pantin

Jean and Alan Pardo

Michael J. Passow ’70CC

Radha N. Patel ’06SIPA

Joseph and Holly Pedlosky

Dr. Michael R. Perfit ’77GSAS

James Joseph Periconi, Esq. ’70CC and Alice McCarthy Periconi P: ’02CC

Alvin H. Perlmutter and Joan W. Konner

Walter Perog ’67TC

Betty and Winston Perry

Robert W. Pfeiffer ’46CC, ’45EN, ’48EN and Patricia Pfeiffer

Judith Ann Pietrasiewicz

Linda R. Powers

Dr. Richard C. Quittmeyer ’77GSAS, ’78GSAS, ’82GSAS

Florence I. Rabanal

Phyllis C. Rabinowitz

Dr. Emma Clare Rainforth ’00GSAS, ’05GSAS

Dr. Elizabeth Pretzer Rall

Jonathan Ramm

Beatrice Rasmussen

Linda Rauer

Dr. Carol Anne Raymond ’84GSAS, ’88GSAS, ’89GSAS

Brian B. Rigney ’00SIPA

Dr. Michael R. Rodman, ’78GSAS

Francis John Rodriguez ’83BUS and Judith M. Rodriguez ’57CP

William D. Romaine

Andy and Vivian Rose

Ellen M. Rosenberg ’66GSAS

Katie Elizabeth Ross ’02CC

OUR DONORS

Nona J. Russell, ’85SIPA

Barbara K. Sacks

Robert Samuels

Joanna Mary Saporito

Joan and Lester Saporta

Anne M. Schneider

Robert C. Schneider ’75CC, P: ’07CC

Roger Seidenman

Lynne and Alan Seidler

Mark A. Shulman, M.A., D.C.

Sylvia S. Shultz

Martha A. Sickles ’78SW

John H. Sindt

Dr. Fernando Sisto and Dr. Grace Sisto SW ’46

Jeffrey C. Slade

Dr. Arthur A. and Edith Socolow

St. James Episcopal Church

John H. St. Laurent

Patricia E. Stalker

Philip Staropoli

Joseph N. Stennett and Dr. Margaret A. Winslow ’80GSAS

Dr. Oscar Strongin, ’58GSAS and Amy Strongin

Dr. Yongjun Su ’97GSAS, ’00GSAS, ’02GSAS

Anya B. Taylor ’65GSAS

Dr. Uri Shimon Ten Brink ’82GSAS, ’85GSAS, ’86GSAS and Dr. Marilyn Ten Brink ’81GSAS, ’86GSAS, ’87GSAS

Dorothy R. Tilson

Dr. Don G. Tobin ’66GSAS and Mary L. Tobin

Renee D. Tolonen

Professor Seymour and Audrey Topping

Anthony R. Torres

Eliot F. Tozer Jr. ’49GSAS

John J. Traynor, Jr.

Truist

Dr. Mary Evelyn Tucker ’81GSAS, ’85GSAS

Bonnie Turell

Tuxedo Teachers Association

Union Theological Seminary

Carol Louise Van Donk and Jan Van Donk, Ph.D. ’70GSAS

Candice T. Varley

Anthony Vasilas, M.D.

Stacey L. Vassallo

Prof. David Walker

Kenneth E. Walter

Robert Ward

Ellen Weeks

Lindley B. Weinberg

Anita I. Weinstein

Verena Widmer

Debbie Wilkowski and Stephen Wilkowski ’85EN

Dr. Colin Francis Williams, ’89GSAS

Michael Williams, P: ’09CC

Paul Ypma

Morton G. Yuter

Dr. Youxue Zhang ’85GSAS, ’87GSAS, ’89GSAS

In Honor Of

Susana Beatriz Adamo

The Wedding of Aylin Tugberk ’07GSAS and John Amore’05SIPA, ’05BUS (7)

George L. Becker, Jr. M.D.

Dan Boyce

Susan Blaustein (4)

Dr. Wallace S. Broecker ’53CC, ’58GSAS, P: ’04CC

Chris and Connie

Henry Corrigan-Gibbs

Livia Edwards

Emma Kennedy

Jyothi Vynatheya & Akshay Oberoi

Onno and Marion Leyds

Dr. Walter Pitman ’67GSAS

G. Michael Purdy (11)

Patricia A. Ryan

Pat Temple

Dr. Taro Takahashi ’57GSAS

Leah Wagner

Stylianos Zavvos

In Memory Of

John B. Diebold ’67GSAS, ’77GSAS, ’80GSAS (19)

Saerree K. Fiedler

Dr. Paul W. Gast ’57GSAS

Sam Gerard

Julian Kane ’50GSAS

Laurence Kulp

Dr. Marcus G. Langseth, Jr. ’65GSAS

Juliet Malin

Leona LaPointe McNutt

Joanna Mylonas Kastanis

Vipul Patel ’03LAW

Dr. Melvin Stern

Dr. Leonard Zobler ’53GSAS

In addition to the generous support we received from the individuals and organizations in our donors list, we are grateful for support from United States federal entities such as the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

We have made every effort to ensure this listing of contributors is complete, and we apologize for any errors or omissions. To report corrections, please e-mail us at [email protected] or call 212-854-7878.



managing oil in timor–leste

Though rich in oil and gas, the young island

nation of Timor-Leste is one of the least de-

veloped countries in the world. The govern-

ment, in an effort to boost public invest-

ment and achieve higher living standards,

reached out to Jeffrey Sachs, the Earth

Institute and the Vale Columbia Center on

Sustainable International Investment for

advice on the sustainable management and

use of its petroleum resources. With the

support of the Open Society Institute, a

cross-disciplinary advisory team is sup-

porting the government’s efforts to achieve

rapid, sustainable development and build a

diverse economy.

top-rated earth sCienCe ph.d. program

As the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory

(LDEO) seeks to endow its newly titled

Lamont Research Professor track, its cadre

of innovative researchers and mentors was

recognized by the wider community. In

September 2010 the National Research

Council announced that Columbia’s collab-

orative Earth Science Ph.D. training program,

co-led by LDEO researchers and the faculty

of the Department of Earth and Environ-

mental Sciences, had been rated the best

such program in the country.

This partnership between a world-class

research institute and a distinguished aca-

demic program trains generations of young

scientific leaders, renowned throughout the

world for outstanding achievements and

a history of problem-solving, discovery

and creativity.

More Earth Institute Projects and Initiatives

the earth institute comprises more than

30 research centers and programs.

here are a few more highlights of the many

projects we have conducted during the

last year.

visit us online at earth.columbia.edu for regular updates

on our work.

The island nation of Timor-Leste.E

ileen

Bar

roso


Carbon ManageMent PrograM

The new low-carbon economy requires an

innovative workforce of engineers, forest

scientists, economists, lawyers, policy

makers and financial experts who under-

stand that climate-related decisions have

global impact. With the support of donor

Karl G. Homberg, a new Carbon Manage-

ment program is being developed at the

Earth Institute. The two-year, multidisciplinary

curriculum will train professionals to navi-

gate the scientific, technical, behavioral,

economic and policy dimensions of the

carbon challenge.

google oCean

Since the late 1950s, when researchers at

the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory

(LDEO) developed the first topographic

maps of the ocean bottom, the Observatory

has been at the forefront of seafloor explo-

ration. Now Google and LDEO have joined

forces to improve the seafloor topography

of Google Ocean to allow armchair explorers

to view parts of the deep ocean floor in greater

detail than ever before. Oceanographers at

LDEO spearheaded the project, which com-

piles data collected on hundreds of U.S.

research cruises and generates the imagery

for Google Ocean’s advanced feature.

ghana teleMediCine ProjeCt to boost health in bonsaaso

The Ghana Telemedicine Project, supported

by the Novartis Foundation, will provide

critical healthcare services to the Millennium

Village of Bonsaaso, Ghana, through infor-

mation and communications technology.

The project will use existing mobile health

platforms, such as ChildCount+, a system

that uses text messages to deliver patients’

vital health information from phones to

databases. Additionally a new teleconsulta-

tion center will provide support to health

workers in clinics as well as to community

health workers engaged at the household

level. Best practices from the Millennium

Villages project will inform the development

of the project and demonstrate results to

the Ministry of Health in Ghana as it looks

to scale up telemedicine services across

the country.

Nic

k Fr

ears

on, L

amon

t-D

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ty E

arth

Ob

serv

ator

y

Gra

phi

c: L

amon

t-D

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MR

T

Ann

ika

Sw

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nd

Global soil map prediction created in part by the Tropical Agriculture and Rural Environment Program demonstrating the mean soil pH measured in water.


research centers and programs

Research Units of the Earth Institute

Center for Climate Systems Research (CCSR)

Center for Environmental Research and Conservation (CERC)

Center for Global Health and Economic Development (CGHED)

Center for Hazards and Risk Research (CHRR)

Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN)

Center for National Health Development in Ethiopia (CNHDE)

Center for Rivers and Estuaries

Center for Sustainable Urban Development (CSUD)

Center for the Study of Science and Religion (CSSR)

Center on Globalization and Sustainable Development (CGSD)

Columbia Climate Center

Columbia Water Center

Earth Engineering Center (EEC)

International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI)

Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO)

Lenfest Center for Sustainable Energy (LCSE)

Programs of the Earth Institute

Cross-Cutting Initiative (CCI)

Earth Clinic

Millennium Cities Initiative

Millennium Villages Project

Program on Science, Technology, and Global Development

Roundtable on Sustainable Mobility

Tropical Agriculture and Rural Environment Program

M.A. in Climate and Society

M.P.A. in Development Practice

M.P.A. in Environmental Science and Policy

M.S. in Sustainability Management

Ph.D. in Sustainable Development

Undergraduate Special Concentration and Major in Sustainable Development

Joint Units of the Earth Institute

The following five units were established jointly by the Earth Institute and a second entity:

Center for Research on Environmental Decisions (CRED)

Cooperative Institute for Climate Applications and Research (CICAR)

Laboratory of Populations

Urban Design Lab (UDL)

Vale Columbia Center on Sustainable International Investment

Affiliates and Consortiums

The Earth Institute is a member of or is closely affiliated with the following four entities:

Advanced Consortium on Cooperation, Conflict and Complexity (AC4)

Black Rock Forest Consortium

Center for Climate Change Law (CCCL)

NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS)

directorateJeffrey D. Sachs Director

Steven Cohen Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer

Peter Schlosser Associate Director and Director of Research

management teamSteven Cohen (Chair)

Joanna Rubinstein

David C. Dvorak

Judith Pietrasiewicz

Carol Pooser

Louise Rosen

Erin Trowbridge

Remote sensing imagery of the Mbola Millennium Village in Tanzania.

Credits

Carol Pooser Gregory Fienhold Content Directors

Celia Watson Seupel Lead Writer

Urania Mylonas Editor

Evan Phalon Co-Editor, Gift Data Manager

Nancy Sherman Copy Editor

Kevin Krajick Editorial Advisor

Stislow Design Design

Sunghee Kim Senior Art Director

This report was printed at Brilliant Graphics, an FSC-certified printer, on paper that contains 100 percent (cover) and 50 percent (text) postconsumer recycled content and was made with renewable energy.

Hogan Hall, MC 3277 2910 Broadway New York, NY 10025

earth.columbia.edu

EI Donor Report, 2011

Documents

Transcript of EI Donor Report, 2011