Crain’s New York Business has named senior vice dean of Columbia University School of Professional Studies (SPS) Steven Cohen among this year’s Notable Leaders in Sustainability.
Each year, the business news publication recognizes 50 executives leading sustainability initiatives in the New York metro area, spotlighting “pacesetters who are propelling the city’s business community toward a greener future.” The honor is awarded to candidates who have made significant contributions to the industry and are involved in community work such as philanthropy and mentoring.
"We are thrilled that Steve Cohen has been recognized by Crain's New York Business as a Notable Leader in Sustainability," said Troy Eggers, dean of SPS. "Steve is a trailblazer and tireless advocate for bringing sustainable practices to business. We congratulate him for this honor and are proud to call him a member of the SPS community."
“This recognition really belongs to the students, faculty, alums, and staff who have built Columbia’s Sustainability Management program,” shared Dr. Cohen. “It’s been a team effort and I am happy to have been able to be part of this terrific community.”
Dr. Cohen has had a long and illustrious career in the fields of sustainability and environmental policy and has done pioneering work in public management and policy analysis.
Along with his role as senior vice dean of SPS, Dr. Cohen is the director of the Sustainability Management program at SPS, the Environmental Science and Policy program at the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), and the research program on Sustainability Policy and Management at Columbia University’s Earth Institute. He is also a professor in the practice of Public Affairs at SIPA.
He has written multiple articles on public management innovation, public ethics, sustainability management, politics, and environmental management; has contributed blog posts to The Huffington Post and The New York Observer; written op-eds for The Messenger and The Hill; and is a weekly contributor to Columbia Climate School's news site State of the Planet. As an educator, he has taught courses on public management, policy analysis, environmental policy, management innovation, and sustainability management.
Between 1977 and 2004, Dr. Cohen worked with the United States Environmental Protection Agency as a policy analyst, consultant, and member of the Advisory Council on Environmental Policy and Technology. Dr. Cohen was also a Ford Foundation Fellow in Urban Environmental Policy in 1976 and a Rockefeller Foundation Fellow in Public and Environmental Policy and Implementation in 1978. He has written countless academic publications and over a dozen books on management and environmental policy, including most recently, Environmentally Sustainable Growth: A Pragmatic Approach.
Dr. Cohen has held professional training seminars on total quality management, strategic planning, project management, and management innovation. In 1982, he developed Columbia’s Workshops in Applied Public Management and Applied Policy Analysis. He also introduced practical professional education into Columbia’s Public Administration curriculum.
