From the Institute Directors

It feels almost impossible that the end of the fall term is just weeks away, but here we are. Fall 2023 has been exceptionally busy — and energizing — for the Irving Institute.

From a second successful Climate and Energy Week, to the launch of our First-Year Fellows Program and a new speaker series, Conversations on the Path to Net Zero, to the rekindling of our "Sparks" climate and energy career series that brings Dartmouth alums and friends who are working in climate and energy to share about their career journeys with undergraduates considering careers in this space, we have had a wonderful term, connecting with our campus community and beyond in service of more sustainable, reliable, and equitable energy and climate futures for all.

We are also excited to introduce Geoffrey Parker as the Institute's Interim Faculty Director. Geoff, who is the Charles E. Hutchinson '68A Professor of Engineering Innovation and Executive Director of the Masters of Engineering (MEM) program, will work with the Institute team to help refine the Institute's strategy, catalyze research and academic programming, and develop and deepen collaborative partnerships to accelerate the transition to an affordable, sustainable, reliable and equitable energy future for the benefit of society. You can read more about Geoff and his new role below.

Enjoy the last days of fall, and we hope to see you in the building or at an upcoming event.

~ Geoff Parker, Interim Faculty Director and April M. Salas, Executive Director, Irving Institute for Energy and Society

Irving Institute Appoints Interim Faculty Director

The Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society has a new academic leader, Provost David Kotz '86 recently announced.

Geoffrey Parker, the Charles E. Hutchinson '68A Professor of Engineering Innovation, has been tapped as the Institute's interim faculty director.

"Geoffrey Parker's expertise across engineering and business make him the ideal leader for the next stage of the institute's development," Kotz said. "He brings a deep familiarity with the institute and a strong commitment to strengthening its strategic vision in the areas of research and education."

As interim director, Professor Parker— who is executive director of the Master of Engineering Management Program and has served as a member of the Irving Institute's Faculty Advisory Board—will work with Executive Director April Salas to help refine the institute's strategy, catalyze research and academic programming, and develop and deepen collaborative partnerships to accelerate the transition to an affordable, sustainable, reliable and equitable energy future for the benefit of society.

Read more

Climate and Energy Week Shines a Spotlight on Dartmouth Research, Teaching, and Learning

Dartmouth celebrated the breadth and depth of climate and energy activities with our second Climate and Energy week at the beginning of October. Kicking off with a talk on the college's own campus energy transition and culminating in the Dartmouth Energy Alliance's second Energy Hackathon, the week was filled with a range of activities, from panels, to films, to a faculty symposium, and a talk on energy in Africa by the 2023 McGuire Prize for Societal Impact winner, Irving Institute Advisory Board member Rose Mutiso '08, TH'08. Here are some highlights from this energizing week!

Read more.

Rose Mutiso '08 Honored for Energy Expertise and Activism

Rose Mutiso ’08, Thayer ’08, who is working to bring sustainable, affordable energy systems to sub-Saharan Africa while supporting other women scientists, accepted the McGuire Family Prize for Societal Impact at a dinner held in her honor during Dartmouth's Climate and Energy Week. Dr. Mutiso is the Research Director at Energy for Growth Hub and an Irving Institute Advisory Board member.

Read more.

First-Year Fellows Program Introduces the Class of 2027 to Energy and Climate at Dartmouth

Irving Institute First-Year Fellows meet to reflect on their first term at Dartmouth and brainstorm projects for winter term.

The Irving Institute launched a First-Year Fellows Program in fall 2023, welcoming nearly 40 members of the class of 2027 into its inaugural cohort. Fall term activities focused on building connections among these brand-new members of the Dartmouth community and jump-starting their exploration of the many opportunities they have to learn about and engage with climate and energy at the college. As fall term closes, FYFers are identifying energy and climate topics in which they are keenly interested, in preparation for expanding their knowledge and networks via interviews over winter term.

Dartmouth Climate and Energy News

A New Study Points to a Key Window of Opportunity to Save Greenland's Ice Sheet. Associate Professor of Engineering Hélène Seroussi is quoted in this NPR piece.

What was NH Like During the Ice Age? You Can Find Clues at the Flume Gorge — and Far Beneath Some Local Ponds. Professor of Earth Sciences Meredith Kelly's climate change research is spotlighted in this NHPR piece.

July Flooding Is a ‘Wake-up Call’ to New Weather Realities in the Upper Valley. Associate Professor of Geology Jonathan Winter is quoted in the The Dartmouth article on local impacts of a changing climate.

Energy Firms, Green Groups and Others Reach Deal on Solar Farms. Irving Institute Advisory Board members Abby Hopper ’93 and Dan Reicher ’78 played a key role in brokering this deal between historically adversarial groups, covered in this New York Times article.

Dartmouth Hall, Irving, ECSC Recognized by Architects. N.H. group honors Dartmouth buildings with top preservation and design citations.

Transportation Services to Expand Electric Vehicle Initiatives. The Dartmouth examines campus electric vehicle infrastructure.

McKinsey Global Institute Partner Delivers Lecture on Net Zero Transition: The Dartmouth recaps a recent campus talk co-sponsored by the Irving Institute and Tuck's Revers Center for Energy, Sustainability, and Innovation, and Center for Business, Government and Society.