MIAMI— August 23, 2019, Katharine Mach joined the faculty of the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science as an associate professor in the Department of Marine Ecosystems and Society and a faculty scholar at the UM Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy. Prior to joining the UM faculty, Mach was a senior research scientist at Stanford University and director of the Stanford Environment Assessment Facility.
Her research focuses on environmental science and policy with an emphasis on climate change. In a policy forum essay in Science published Aug. 23, she and colleagues discuss the role of strategic and managed retreat as a response to climate change.
Mach's research assesses climate change risks and response options to address increased flooding, extreme heat, wildfire, and other environmental hazards. Through innovative approaches to integrating evidence, she informs effective and equitable adaptations to the risks.
From 2010 until 2015, Mach co-directed the scientific activities of Working Group II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. This work on impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability culminated in the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report and its Special Report on Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation. The associated global scientific collaborations have supported diverse climate policies and actions, including the Paris Agreement.
Mach is a lead author for the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report and the U.S. Fourth National Climate Assessment. She serves as an associate deputy editor for Climatic Change and an advisory board member for the Aspen Global Change Institute and Carbon180. Mach received her PhD from Stanford University and AB summa cum laude from Harvard College.
