Pamela Matson

PAMELA MATSON is an interdisciplinary sustainability scientist, academic leader, and organizational strategist. She served as dean of Stanford University’s School of Earth, Energy and Environmental Sciences from 2002-2017, building interdisciplinary departments and educational programs focused on resources, environment, and sustainability, as well as co-leading university-wide interdisciplinary initiatives. As the Goldman Professor of Environmental Studies and Senior Fellow in the Woods Institute for the Environment, she led the graduate program on Sustainability Science and Practice and carried out research on a range of environment and sustainability issues, including agricultural sustainability, climate change causes and consequences, and knowledge-to-action best practices. After retiring in 2022, she continues to teach Sustainability Science at graduate and executive levels. Dr. Matson serves on the board of the International Science Council and the World Resources Institute. She is an elected member of the National Academy of Science and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and is an AAAS Fellow. She received a MacArthur Foundation Award, contributed to the award of the Nobel Prize to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and is an Einstein Fellow of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, among other awards and recognitions. Dr. Matson holds a Bachelor of Science degree with double majors in biology and English literature from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, a master’s in Environmental Science and Policy from Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs, and a doctorate in Forest Ecology from Oregon State University. She received honorary doctorates from McGill University, Arizona State University, Princeton University, and the University of Wisconsin.