Summer Internship in Climate and Society

SUMMER INTERN:CLIM & SOC

Prerequisites: enrollment in the M.A. Program in Climate and Society. During the third and final term of study for the 12-month M.A. Program in Climate and Society, students must complete an internship and simultaneously enroll in CLMT 5006. The summer internship requires a minimum of 210  hours of professional participation during the Summer Term in a position related to core issues of concern to the Program. The selected position must be approved by the Director of the M.A. Program by a specified date in the Spring Semester preceding the Summer Term. The position must be substantive in nature and must constitute a practical, professional experience. Students will be evaluated on the basis of oral and written updates on the work, a student internship report to be submitted at the end of the Summer Term, and on the basis of a supervisor report form to be submitted by the site supervisor for the internship.

• T 8:30 a.m.-10 a.m.
• W 5 p.m.-6:30 p.m.
• Instructor: Andrew J Kruczkiewicz
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• Instructor: Catherine L Vaughan
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• 6 points

Capstone Workshop in Climate and Society

In this course, students will work jointly with a client organization in the climate and society field. Under the guidance of the instructors, they will take a short request from the organization for a specific product (data analysis, program development, curricular and training material, or other related items), develop a work plan, implement the work plan, and present the final product to the client. This course gives students direct experience in the co-production of knowledge in the climate and society field, a valuable skill in the contemporary world. It extends the training in the integration of natural science and social science that is a hallmark of the Climate + Society program. It includes training in the construction of a boundary object--a final product--conducted jointly with the client organization; this training includes instruction in project design, implementation and evaluation, and in communication between organizations.

• M 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
• Instructor: Sarah L Blakeley
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• Instructor: Aditi V Thapar
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• Instructor: Kaitlyn J Bretz
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• Instructor: Sheila Foster
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• Instructor: Kristen A Lubawski
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• Instructor: Amber L Hughes
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• 6 points

An Introduction to Complex Climate Risks

Intro to Complex Climate

Extreme climate and weather events can lead to cascading failures that can spread within and across socio-environmental systems and sectors, often disproportionally affecting underserved communities. Climate change is projected to lead to more frequent and more severe extreme weather events amplifying the likelihood of Complex Climate Risks through multivariate, concurrent and sequential climate extremes affecting societal systems (e.g., food, health, supply chains, finance) and critical infrastructure (e.g., water, energy, communication, transportation) in complicated ways that are challenging to anticipate and prepare for. Understanding and mitigating Complex Climate Risks in a changing climate in compliance with climate equity and justice requires joint efforts from a broad range of scientific communities across disciplines and temporal and spatial scales - from local to global extent, synoptic to decadal variability, and hazard characterization to detailed risk and impact assessment. In recognition that univariate risk assessments might fail to acknowledge amplified risks for societies, from inter-related hazards and affected sectors, a complex risk perspective is increasingly required in the context of understanding climate impacts, resilience and adaptation.

This course will provide an introduction to Complex Climate Risks by discussing recent frameworks developed to address them under current and future climate conditions. Several recent real-world eventsin which societal impacts were amplified by compounding climatic drivers and interactions with societal systems, leading to e.g. conflicts and migration, amplified mortality and failure of critical infrastructures are reviewed. Examples include the 2010 heatwave which caused increased mortality and harvest failures and their connection to the Arab Spring uprising a year later, the links of a year long with the Syrian Civil and the mass migration that followed in 2015 and the 2021 February Texas cold-spell that left millions without electricity and water for days under severe cold conditions in particular in poorer neighbourhoods. This course will provide the students with a thorough understanding of Complex Climate Risks, the typology of different compounding hazards and statistical approaches bridging the physical and societal spheres for a more integral climate risk assessment.

Guided by recent literature quantitative and qualitative frameworks that aim at assessing current and future climate risks to turn them into actionable informa

• TR 6:15 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: Kai Kornhuber
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• 1.5 points

Building Equitable Community Partnership

Building Partnerships in

Disaster management is a continuum that is affected by decisions, investments and dynamics that occur before, during and after disasters. The issue of equity in disaster management is emerging from an abundance of evidence that shows that societal inequities often translate into inequitable outcomes and disproportionate impacts from disasters. Community engagement strategies are often touted as a solution to the inequities, but many aspects of community participation are complex, with additional
effort and investments required for working with vulnerable and marginalized communities. Further, power dynamics between disaster experts and vulnerable communities may bias approaches to disaster management as well as representation within relevant power structures. This seminar is designed to provide an introduction to some of the variables that impact vulnerability and inequity in disaster management, ultimately leading to inequitable outcomes. It also provides an overview of current and emerging strategies in community engagement designed to foster a “whole of community” approach to disaster management.

The purpose of this course is to prepare those entering the climate policy and practice workforce for addressing these challenges by providing an overview of issues of equity and building community partnerships in disaster management. At the end of this course learners will be able to:


Describe social determinants of disaster vulnerability and resilience

Describe how governance and financial structures can drive inequity in the disaster cycle

Identify whole community approaches for disaster management

Identify mechanisms to develop partnerships with underserved communities and emergent partners in disaster management

Demonstrate the ability to develop strategies for disaster management based on best practices for community engagement and addressing equity concerns.

• TR 5:30 p.m.-7:15 p.m.
• 1.5 points

Financing Renewable Energy

With climate change visibly affecting communities around the world, it is essential to society to transition to renewable energy sources to minimize further climate warming. As for any generation source, installation of renewables is very capital intensive. This course will examine key “ingredients” necessary to finance a renewable project / make it economic, including but not limited to:


Ability to finance at the project level

Different forms of capital available / requirements to successfully finance

Revenue models for renewables investors and required returns

Role of government incentives in financing renewable energy / latest US legislation

Key technical issues that arise with increased renewables penetration

Global geopolitical landscape and its impact on energy transition

Equity an inclusion in the approach to building a renewable landscape


As part of the course, we will review multiple case studies and will approach the topics both from theoretical and quantitative perspectives.

• F 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
• Instructor: Nadejda Zaets
  CULPA: 3 Info
• 3 points