Macol Stewart Cerda is the Executive Director of the Climate Systems Engineering initiative (CSEi) at the University of Chicago. Consistently at the forefront of interdisciplinary research, she previously served as the founding Executive Director of the Institute on the Formation of Knowledge. Before joining UChicago, Macol owned and operated a strategic consulting practice serving high-profile environmental entities. She began her career in Washington DC, with the Office of Women in Development at the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). At NOAA’s Office of Global Programs, she launched the climate a health initiative and the program for seasonal climate prediction in Africa. Leading the first efforts to make El Niño climate forecasts relevant to African decision-makers, she convened users and scientists to co-create a model for climate services, that was replicated in 20 regions around the world, and continues as the global standard for regional climate services to this day. She holds master’s degrees in environmental science and international relations from Yale University, and an undergraduate degree in philosophy from Princeton University.
Macol Cerda
Executive Director, Climate Systems Engineering initiative