Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment

The Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment serves as Stanford University’s hub for faculty for environmental studies. An interdisciplinary research lab, Woods encompasses senior fellows and affiliated faculty as well as researchers, postdoctoral scholars and students collaborating on sustainability research. It supports research in seven areas: climate, ecosystem services and conservation biology, food security, freshwater, oceans, public health, and sustainable development. It provides seed funding for environmental research supports seven research centers, programs and workshops.

In the mid-1990s, a committee chaired by former Stanford president Donald Kennedy was appointed by provost Condoleezza Rice to evaluate environmental research. In 2000, its report proposed a coherent program to coordinate major efforts. As a result, president John L. Hennessy in 2003 announced a campus-wide initiative on the environment and sustainability. The following year he created the institute to serve as the initiative’s centerpiece and focal point. Envisioned as a hub for environmental researchers, the Institute brought together experts from the university’s seven schools to pursue interdisciplinary, research addressing complex environmental challenges while preparing the next generation of environmental leaders. The community grew to more than 150 fellows, affiliated scholars and researchers. In 2006 the Institute was formally renamed for Stanford trustee Ward W. Woods, (a 1964 graduate), and his wife, Priscilla, who made a $30 million contribution.

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