Dr. Marta Vicarelli⁠

Dr. Marta Vicarelli is an internationally recognized transdisciplinary scholar, practitioner, and collaborator working at the intersection of climate economics, ecological resilience, and public policy. Following her appointment to the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), Dr. Vicarelli maintains a deep, ongoing commitment to the School of Earth & Sustainability (SES) at UMass Amherst. She serves as a Senior Faculty Affiliate, a core collaborative researcher, and an active member of the SES Pan-campus Advisory Council.

Dr. Vicarelli’s leadership connects frontline regional action with national and international climate governance. She contributed to Working Group II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report, which was awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. Nationally, she contributed to a White House Report on Nature-based Solutions commissioned by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and was featured as a speaker at the OSTP Town Hall on nature-based solutions in climate-resilient infrastructure.

In addition to her federal and global policy work, Dr. Vicarelli serves on the advisory board for the $9.8M NOAA-funded Greater Boston Climate and Coastal Resilience Workforce Alliance and leads research initiatives within the Northeast Center for Coastal Resilience (NCCR). Her career includes competitive research fellowships at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA; Peccei Fellow), Harvard University’s Sustainability Science Program (Giorgio Ruffolo Fellow at the Center for International Development), and the Yale University Climate and Energy Institute.

Within SES, Dr. Vicarelli maintains an active leadership presence through her service on the SES Pan-Campus Advisory Council, as founder and director of the UN Global Sustainable Solutions Winter School, and as co-lead for the SES Sustainable Solutions Lecture Series. She holds a Ph.D. in Sustainable Development and a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University, a Master of Environmental Economics from École Polytechnique, and a B.S. in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences from École Normale Supérieure (Paris).

This section highlights regional research, benchmark survey reports, and cross-departmental collaborations funded through or partnered with the School of Earth & Sustainability (SES), the Northeast Center for Coastal Resilience (NCCR), and regional co-investigators.

Vicarelli, M., et al. (UMass Northeast Center for Coastal Resilience). Climate Resilience: A Survey of Massachusetts Municipalities. School of Earth & Sustainability, University of Massachusetts Amherst.

(Landmark statewide study assessing climate hazards, municipal resilience strategies, financial barriers, and data needs across Massachusetts cities and towns.)

Vicarelli, M., Barchers, C., Christofa, E., Ai, C., & Knodler, M. Climate change resilience, infrastructure planning, and transportation networks in New England. Northeast Center for Coastal Resilience & UMass School of Earth & Sustainability Research Series.

(Interdisciplinary investigation combining climate economics, regional planning [Barchers], and transportation engineering [Christofa] to evaluate regional infrastructure vulnerabilities.)

Vicarelli, M., et al. Post-Pandemic Green Recovery and Municipal Economic Resilience across Massachusetts Cities and Towns. UMass Donahue Institute & School of Earth & Sustainability.

(Regional analysis evaluating municipal policy alignment with green economic transformation, workforce development, and environmental justice priorities.)