Tuesday, January 30, 2024 - 09:45
Prof Stephens brings a wealth of knowledge to the role as an internationally recognised climate justice scholar and feminist energy democracy researcher, with over 30 years’ experience in science policy.
Formerly the Dean’s Professor of Sustainability Science and Policy at Northeastern University in Boston, Professor Stephens has served in various leadership roles at various institutions, including the University of Vermont and Clark University. As the Director of Northeastern University’s School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs and a Harvard-Radcliffe Climate Justice Fellow, she has been at the forefront of climate leadership.
Her research on climate justice, energy democracy, and societal transformation has received support from organisations such as the National Science Foundation and the US Department of Agriculture.
Prof Stephens has shared her expertise through contributions to publications like the Boston Globe, The Wall Street Journal, and The Conversation. As a Senior Fellow for Climate Justice at the Global Council for Science and the Environment, she has been a thought leader in the field.
A dual Irish-US citizen born in Dublin, Prof Stephens is looking forward to returning to Ireland and contribute to the country's leadership in climate and social justice.
The Senior Academic Leadership Initiative (SALI) was launched by the Minister for Higher Education in 2019 following analysis carried out by Ireland’s Gender Equality Taskforce in 2018, which revealed that 52 per cent of lecturers in higher education, but just 27 per cent of professors, were female.
One of the Taskforce’s recommendations was the creation of new and gender-specific posts at appropriate levels that would create rapid and sustainable change in the representation of women in the senior professor grade.