Penn has announced the appointment of Sanya Carley, faculty director of the Kleinman Center, as the new vice provost for climate science, policy, and action.
The Oct. 20 announcement comes three weeks after Earth and Environmental Science professor Michael Mann resigned from the vice provost role, citing conflicts between his science advocacy work and Penn’s institutional neutrality policy. Carley will officially step into the role starting Nov. 1 and will work closely with Executive Director of Climate Science, Policy, and Action Stephen Decina and Vice Provost for Research David Meaney, according to the announcement.
Penn Provost John Jackson Jr. welcomed Carley to the “critical” leadership role, praising her as one of the “world’s leading experts on energy policy.”
“She is a widely admired teacher, mentor, and collaborator who will be a dynamic catalyst across campus on issues of energy, climate, and sustainability,” Jackson said in the announcement.
At Penn, Carley serves as both presidential distinguished professor of energy policy and city planning in the Weitzman School of Design and the faculty director of the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy.
She is also the founder and co-director of the Energy Justice Lab, which studies the equity issues arising from community transitions to “diverse, efficient, and low-carbon energy sources.” She is a fellow of the nonprofit research organization Resources for the Future, which partners with leaders of multiple universities to conduct economic research that aims to improve environmental public policies.
“I am honored to assume this important role and very much looking forward to integrating and amplifying our incredible climate work here at Penn,” Carley said in the announcement.
Before her time at Penn, Carley was a professor at Indiana University and served as associate vice provost for faculty and academic affairs. She has also co-authored two books on the clean energy transition — “Power Lines: The Human Costs of American Energy in Transition,” and “Energy-Based Economic Development: How Clean Energy Can Drive Development and Stimulate Economic Growth.”
Carley received the David Kershaw award from the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management in 2021 for “distinguished contributions to public policy analysis and management by a researcher under the age of 40,” according to the announcement.
Mann wrote to The Daily Pennsylvanian that Carley “has demonstrated, through her past work, that she has the knowledge base and management skills” to advance Penn’s climate and sustainability work.
“With both Sanya as Vice Provost and Steve Decina as Executive Director, I am confident that Penn Climate is in excellent hands moving forward,” Mann added.