Kates - Bio

Bio: Bob Kates is an independent scholar in Trenton, Maine, Senior Research Associate at Harvard University, Presidential Professor of Sustainability Science at the U. Of Maine, and University Professor (Emeritus) at Brown University.  Trained as a geographer he has led interdisciplinary programs addressing environment and development at the University of Dar as Salaam in Tanzania, Clark University, and the World Hunger Program at Brown University. He was co-chair for the 1999 National Academy of Sciences report, Our Common Journey: A Transition Toward Sustainability and co-convener of the Initiative on Science and Technology for Sustainability. He was also a member of the National Advisory Board of the  Long Term Ecological Research Systems. He has co-authored or edited foundational studies on natural hazards (Burton, Kates, and White, 1978,1993), on climate impact assessment (Kates, Ausubel, Berberian, 1985), and most recently Readings in Sustainability Science and Technology (Kates, 2010). His most recent research is on transformational adaptation to climate change (Kates, Travis & Wilbanks, 2011). Dr. Kates is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a recipient of the National Medal of Science.