Launched in 2020 by then-President Amy Gutmann and then-Provost Wendell Pritchett, the Environmental Innovations Initiative is dedicated to leveraging Penn’s considerable academic strengths to meaningfully impact the critical environmental challenges of our time. The inaugural faculty co-leads were Joseph S. Francisco, who served through June 2023, and Kathleen D. Morrison, current faculty lead.

MISSION

EII’s mission is to serve as a convener and catalyst for scholarship and education that addresses environmental and climate challenges. 

VISION

EII aspires to cultivate a community of knowledge and action in environmental stewardship by bringing together scholars, practitioners, students, and partners to create a world where everyone can thrive.

OUR WORK

EII puts these guiding principles into action by: 

• Strengthening collaboration within the Penn community and with external partners to advance interdisciplinary scholarship and solutions to climate change and other environmental challenges.
• Developing formal and informal educational offerings that inspire and instruct tomorrow’s leaders.
• Raising the visibility of Penn’s contributions to the study of climate and the environment through robust programming and communications, helping engage students, faculty, staff, alumni, and partners.