Dr. David Lobell is a distinguished environmental scientist and globally recognized leader in addressing the critical intersection of climate change impacts and food security. He currently serves as the Benjamin M. Page Professor in the Department of Earth System Science at Stanford University and the Gloria and Richard Kushel Director of the Center on Food Security and the Environment. With additional prestigious appointments as the William Wrigley Senior Fellow at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment and Senior Fellow at both the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, his institutional influence spans multiple disciplines critical to addressing global sustainability challenges. Dr. Lobell earned his Sc.B. in Applied Mathematics from Brown University before completing his PhD in Geological and Environmental Sciences at Stanford University, building a strong quantitative foundation for his interdisciplinary research approach. His early career included a Lawrence Post-doctoral Fellowship at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and a Senior Research Scholar position at the Center on Food Security and the Environment, solidifying his expertise in climate-agriculture dynamics.
Dr. Lobell's pioneering research has fundamentally transformed approaches to understanding climate change impacts on agricultural systems through innovative applications of data science and remote sensing methodologies. His work developing new techniques to measure progress on sustainable development goals has provided critical tools for policymakers and researchers to assess agricultural sustainability across diverse global contexts. As a lead author for the food chapter and core writing team member for the Summary for Policymakers in the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report, his insights have directly shaped international climate policy discussions regarding food security. Dr. Lobell's research has demonstrated the significant threat that climate change poses to global crop production while simultaneously identifying adaptive strategies that can enhance resilience in vulnerable agricultural systems. His work spanning Africa, Asia, Latin America, North America, and Australia has established him as a global authority on climate-smart agricultural practices and food security adaptation.
Beyond his research contributions, Dr. Lobell has been instrumental in building interdisciplinary coalitions that bridge climate science, agriculture, and policy to address the complex challenges of food security in a changing climate. As a recipient of the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship and election to the National Academy of Sciences, he has established himself as a thought leader whose work commands significant respect across scientific and policy communities. His co-founding of Atlas AI demonstrates his commitment to translating scientific insights into practical decision-support tools that directly benefit rural communities and agricultural policymakers. Dr. Lobell continues to expand the frontiers of food security research through innovative applications of artificial intelligence and satellite data, with current projects developing increasingly sophisticated methods to measure and enhance agricultural sustainability in the face of climate change. His ongoing leadership positions him at the forefront of efforts to build resilient food systems that can sustainably feed a growing global population under increasingly uncertain climatic conditions.
