Sustainability in the Age of AI: Harnessing AI for Real Climate Impact

Please join us for our next event!

As AI continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace, its intersection with sustainability has never been more critical — or more complex. Building on the momentum of last year's panel, Sustainability in the Age of AI and its Role in Driving Climate Tech Solutions, this year, with sharper focus, deeper expertise, and a broader lens, our panel will address what it truly means to harness AI as a force for planetary good.

Moderator:

Marco Tedesco, PhD, Lamont Research Professor, Marine and Polar Geophysics, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO), and Adjunct Scientist, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS)

Marco Tedesco is a Lamont Research Professor at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University and Adjunct Scientist at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS). He is also affiliated with the Data Science Institute, he is Affiliated professor at Sant’Anna School of Economics in Pisa, Italy and has been the Resident Scientist at the Columbia Business School for the past two years. He is a fellow of the Explorers Club and a member of the New York City Panel on Climate Change, Equity Working Group. Dr. Tedesco received his Laurea degree and PhD in Italy, from the University of Naples and the Italian National Research Council. He then spent five years as a postdoc and research scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. He moved to CCNY in 2008 as an Assistant Professor where he was promoted to Associate Professor in 2012. During his time at CCNY, he founded and directed the Cryosphere Processes Laboratory and was a rotating Program Manager at the National Science Foundation between 2013 and 2015. In January 2016, he joined Columbia University. Dr. Tedesco’s research focuses on the dynamics of seasonal snowpack, ice sheet surface properties, high latitude fieldwork, dendrochronology, global climate change, its implications on the economy and real estate and climate justice. Dr. Tedesco led more than 10 expeditions to Greenland and to Antarctica, beside fieldwork in many other places, including Iceland, Northern US, Canada, Italian Alps and more. He is the editor of he book “Remote Sensing of the Cryosphere” published by Wiley in 2015 and he is the author of the book “The hidden llid of ice” originally published in 2018. the book has been translated in 7 languages and was selected by the Washington Post and by the National Geographic Traveler as one of the best 10 books of the year.

Speakers:

Jane Bartman, Sustainability & Decarbonization, Bloomberg Associates

Jane Bartman leads decarbonization initiatives at Bloomberg Associates, a philanthropic city government consulting firm that is part of Bloomberg Philanthropies. An urban planner by training, Jane’s background spans climate and housing affordability in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. She has previously worked on the Policy and Development teams at the NYC Housing Development Corporation, the city’s affordable housing lender; on social resiliency initiatives at the NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice; and in real estate as a Senior Manager at the Concord Group.

Jane is actively involved with the Urban Land Institute, where she provides expert technical assistance through Net Zero Imperative program, and as an advisory committee member for the Building Performance Partnership of the Institute for Market Transformation and Building Energy Exchange.

Jane earned her Master of Urban Planning from NYU's Wagner School of Public Service as a Henry Hart Rice Fellow, and her A.B. with honors in Geography and International Studies from the University of Chicago.

Dr. Amen Ra Mashariki, Director of AI, Bezos Earth Fund

Dr. Amen Ra Mashariki is the Director of AI at the Bezos Earth Fund, where he works to identify and fund strategies and solutions that will help innovative organizations use AI effectively for on-the-ground climate and nature impact. Dr. Mashariki was previously a Senior Principal Scientist at NVIDIA, leading their AI Nations portfolio. He has also served as Head of Machine Learning at Urbint, an energy-focused tech startup, adjunct faculty at NYU, and Fellow at the Harvard Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation.

Dr. Mashariki served as the first Chief Analytics Officer for the City of New York under the de Blasio administration and the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Data Analytics. President Obama appointed him to be a White House Fellow in 2012, and he served as a political appointee as the Chief Technology Officer for the Office of Personnel Management. Amen earned Doctorate, Master's, and Bachelor's degrees in Computer Science from Morgan State, Howard, and Lincoln University.
 

David Gilford, Founder and Managing Partners, PolicyAlpha

David Gilford is a nationally recognized infrastructure strategist and the Managing Partner of PolicyAlpha, an advisory firm bridging the gap between private capital and public priorities. With over two decades of experience across the public and private sectors, David provides infrastructure funds and institutional investors with the guidance necessary to navigate complex regulatory environments, structure public-private partnerships, and de-risk investments for the U.S. market.

David currently serves as a Senior Advisor to Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners (SIP), providing high-level guidance on policy and partnerships across the firm’s portfolio. During his tenure as SIP’s Head of Policy and Strategic Partnerships, David oversaw the firm’s communications and marketing, including a comprehensive overhaul of SIP’s brand positioning and investment narrative to better resonate with global stakeholders.

David’s background emphasizes the integration of new technologies and commercial frameworks into the built environment. As a Principal at HR&A Advisors and co-founder of the Broadband Equity Partnership, he designed the commercial and technical frameworks for digital infrastructure projects. His project history includes co-founding the Connected Communities practice at Intersection, where he developed technology strategies for over 40 million square feet of mixed-use real estate. David’s perspective is further informed by his leadership at the New York City Economic Development Corporation, where he served as a Vice President after joining the agency during the administration of Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

David serves on the faculty of Columbia University as an Adjunct Professor, teaching graduate-level courses on urban innovation and infrastructure. He holds an MBA from the Yale School of Management and a BA in Economics from Williams College.

For more information about the Technology Management program, please contact the program directly at sps-techmgmt [[at]] columbia [[dot]] edu.

For more information about the M.S. in Sustainability Science and M.S. in Sustainability Management programs, please contact: sustainabilitygradprograms [[at]] columbia [[dot]] edu.

To obtain additional information about program offerings at Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies, please inquire [[at]] sps [[dot]] columbia [[dot]] edu.

If you require closed captioning, sign-language interpretation, or other accommodations, please contact disability [[at]] columbia [[dot]] edu, at least 10 days in advance. Services requested less than 10 days in advance cannot be guaranteed.

Please visit Columbia University’s Hub for Emergency Preparedness to stay up to date on the latest campus health and safety policies.This event is open to individuals irrespective of identity and sex.