George Sarrinikolaou

As director of the Earth Institute's Office of Academic and Research Programs, George Sarrinikolaou is responsible for the management of several educational programs, for initiatives that strengthen the Earth Institute’s research enterprise, and for administrative support to the Institute’s academic governance. Previously he worked at the Institute for Sustainable Communities, where he managed the Climate Leadership Academy, a training and technical assistance program for hundreds of sustainability practitioners working in U.S. cities and metropolitan regions. He also served as the first sustainability manager of The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, where he advised the Port Authority’s Board of Commissioners and senior management in developing sustainability policies and projects. He helped create and managed the Port Authority’s sustainability program, which focused on climate change mitigation, carbon neutrality, and adaptation. As part of the program, he conducted the Port Authority’s first greenhouse gas emissions inventory, which included the emissions of the aircraft, ships, and vehicles that use the Authority’s facilities. He also made the Authority’s first purchase of carbon offsets, implemented a policy for sustainable design, developed green construction contract specifications, and supported the environmental management of World Trade Center redevelopment. He has written for The New York Times and reported for CNN and Public Radio International.