Jennie Stephens

College of Social Sciences and Humanities Director for Strategic Relationships, GRI; Director of SPPUA, Dean's Professor of Sustainability Science & Policy

Jennie C. Stephens is the Director for Strategic Research Collaborations at the Global Resilience Institute, Director of Northeastern’s School of Public Policy & Urban Affairs and the Deanís Professor of Sustainability Science and Policy. Her research, teaching, and community engagement focus on social and political aspects of the renewable energy transition, reducing fossil fuel reliance, and strengthening societal resilience by integrating social justice with climate and energy policy. Her work explores institutional and cultural innovation in energy, including gender diversity and energy democracy, technological optimism, and enhancing the ìusabilityî of climate science in strengthening climate resilience.

Professor Stephens received a 2017 Arab-American Frontiers Fellowship from the National Academy of Sciences, she is a 2015-2016 Leopold Leadership fellow, and her book ìSmart Grid (R)Evolution: Electric Power Strugglesî (Cambridge University Press, 2015) explores social and cultural debates about energy system change (co-authored with Wilson & Peterson).

Before joining Northeastern University in 2016, Professor Stephens held the Blittersdorf Professorship at the University of Vermont (2014-2016) and was on the faculty at Clark University (2005-2014).She earned her PhD (2002) and MS (1998) at Caltech in Environmental Science & Engineering and her BA (1997) at Harvard in Environmental Science & Public Policy.