Strategic Assessment: Because of our current faculty strengths and the centrality of Earth and energy sciences and engineering to the study of the environment and of resources essential to human well-being, and because of our long history of merging science with its applications, the School of Earth Sciences is well positioned to lead and participate in the university’s initiative on the environment and in other interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary initiatives at Stanford. Indeed, as the founder and supporter of Stanford’s only two interdisciplinary academic programs in the area of environment and resources (the Earth Systems Program and the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Environment and Resources {IPER}), we have already shown that leadership. Our challenge, however, is to engage in and lead university-wide efforts in ways that maintain our school priorities and strengthen our ability to serve.

Strategy 1: Engage in leadership roles in university environmental initiative and Institute for the Environment.
• build upon School of Earth Sciences dean’s service as the “on-point” dean for the environmental initiative
• encourage and recognize faculty involvement in the environmental initiative and institute (e.g., participation through research and teaching activities, service on standing committees, etc.)
• participate in search processes for related faculty positions

Strategy 2: Encourage active collaboration with the Institute for the Environment and use the institute to help build School of Earth Sciences strengths.
• develop joint faculty billet opportunities
• leverage research activities to build additional bridges and pursue interdisciplinary funding through the institute

Strategy 3: Take the lead in coordinating campus-wide energy curriculum.
• work with Institute for the Environment leadership to host an energy planning meeting
• help build a curriculum for energy studies on campus by compiling a list of currently available energy courses (with the help of Earth Systems, the Global Climate and Energy Project {GCEP}, etc.), identifying missing pieces, and helping to develop new courses

Strategy 4: Participate and engage in leadership roles in the integration/synthesis of Earth sciences with other fields in the natural and physical sciences, engineering, and beyond.
• develop joint faculty billet opportunities
• develop graduate student resources for students crossing departmental/disciplinary boundaries
• recognize and reward faculty leadership in multidisciplinary university centers, programs, and initiatives

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