I am always interested in taking on new students, but note that all admissions happen at the departmental/program level (not by individual PI or faculty member). Moreover, Stanford graduate division only allows you to apply to one PhD program, so it is critical that you figure out what would be the best home department / program. The three programs I am affiliated with vary widely in their suggested requirements, program structure, and overall aims:

  • Earth System Science (ESS)
    Details of the PhD program and curriculum requirements and the application instructions are on the program’s pages. Application deadline is in late November/early December, GRE general scores are optional. This program is meant to support students interested in more fundamental earth system science; a strong physical/natural science background is required. (essgradprogram@stanford.edu)
  • Environmental Social Sciences (Global Environmental Policy, or GEP)
    Details of this new PhD program, its requirements, and the application instructions are all posted. Application deadline is early November, and GRE general scores are required except for exceptional extenuating circumstances. This is a more interdisciplinary program for students interested in social science topics (economics, damages, institutions, collaborations, behavioral sciences) and their intersections with sustainability. If you are more interested in behavioral sciences, please check out the Environmental Behavioral Sciences (EBS) track in the department and consider reaching out to relevant EBS faculty (I am not in EBS). (esosadmissions@stanford.edu)
  • Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources (E-IPER)
    Details of the PhD requirements and program can be found on their site, with curriculum and unique elements described separately. This is an interdisciplinary program meant to fund students with an exceptionally creative, interdisciplinary research agenda and existing experience (work or research) who would benefit from the more minimal structure of the program. There are workshops in advance of the November admissions deadline; see more on their admissions page.

These three PhD programs at Stanford are well-funded (especially for the early years of a program) and it is a high priority to keep them that way, even in these difficult times. There are additional funding opportunities within the Doerr School of Sustainability (e.g., Dean’s Graduate Scholars) and Stanford as a whole (e.g., Knight-Hennessy Scholars) for exceptionally strong candidates with future leadership potential. Please take a look to see if these are a fit as well (these are conditional upon acceptance to a PhD program and do not circumvent the application process.)

Once you figure out the best programmatic “home”, graduate division has prepared information on the mechanics of how to apply, with detailed instructions about each component of the application file.

Please feel free to send me a brief email that includes your CV, a paragraph about the research questions that most interest you, and which program(s) you are considering (you may not know yet). I will typically host office hours for prospective PhD students in September/October in advance of application deadlines.