IBES

Science and Technology

Parts of the tropics may warm more than expected as CO2 rises, study finds

February 2, 2026

A reconstruction of temperature in Colombia during the Pliocene, when CO2 levels were similar to today, suggests that parts of the tropics might soon experience more dramatic warming than previously expected.

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Health and Medicine

Expanding seasonal immunization access could minimize off-season RSV epidemics

November 26, 2025

Researchers found differences in how respiratory syncytial virus spreads among children in rural versus urban communities and concluded that year-round immunizations would minimize risks of large seasonal outbreaks.

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Social Sciences

Initiative at Brown’s Annenberg Institute aims to advance research on schools and climate change

August 6, 2025

The Sustainable Education Research Initiative will build collaborations between scholars, policymakers and practitioners to generate insights that inform Pre-K-12 education policy and practice.

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Environment

Sophia Wu: Crab wrangler, ocean dreamer

July 30, 2025

Brown sophomore Sophia Wu is spending her summer at Save the Bay in Rhode Island, wrangling crabs, supporting summer camps for kids and exploring a future in marine science.

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Health and Medicine

New research challenges animal dietary classifications in Yellowstone National Park

July 14, 2025

A federally funded analysis led by Brown University biologists found that different species of large herbivores have diets that are more diverse and complex than previously known.

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Social Sciences

‘Subjects of the Sun’: Shining a light on obstacles, opportunities of equitable renewable energy

June 24, 2025

Brown University environmental anthropologist Myles Lennon examines the complexity of sustainable energy infrastructure and explores solar solutions for working-class communities.

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University Initiatives

Staff Spotlight: Sowing more than seedlings, Nicholas Vasques cultivates learning and research

April 22, 2025

As Brown’s research greenhouse manager, Vasques tends the Plant Environmental Center run by the University’s Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology.

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Environment

Video: Brown biologist Stephen Porder on taking purposeful, planet-positive personal steps

April 22, 2025

This Earth Day, Brown University’s associate provost for sustainability offers strategies to minimize carbon dioxide emissions and help mitigate climate change.

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Science and Technology

IBES at 10: A decade of innovative research and teaching in environment and society

October 4, 2024

Founded in 2014, the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society has become a leader in producing boundary-breaking, solutions-driven research while educating the next generation of environmental leaders.

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News and Events

Brown campus to host wide array of public events on 2024 elections, issues

October 4, 2024

As voters prepare to cast ballots in presidential, congressional and local elections, Brown is presenting open-to-the-public discussions on relevant topics, from election security to health care.

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Health and Medicine

With $3.8M grant, new Brown center to research health impacts of climate change on aging populations

October 2, 2024

Funding from the National Institute on Aging will enable Brown researchers to study the negative health effects of climate change and develop practical solutions that promote healthy aging.

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Environment

How do coexisting animals find enough to eat? Biologists unlock insights into foraging habits in Yellowstone

September 19, 2024

Brown University ecologists teamed with National Park Service scientists in Yellowstone to answer a vexing question about how different wildlife species find enough to eat.

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Environment

Corinne LePage: Embracing a love of horticulture to support domestic violence survivors

September 18, 2024

Through determination, courage and a supportive community, LePage is flourishing as a nontraditional student at Brown and using her own experiences to help others on campus and beyond.

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Science and Technology

Isabel Tribe: Examining ancient sediment to predict Earth’s future

July 29, 2024

Working with a 3-million-year-old Colombian sediment core in a research lab at Brown this summer, the rising sophomore is extracting ancient biological data to inform future climate models.

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Environment

Tropical plant species are as threatened by climate change as widely feared, study confirms

July 18, 2024

A study based on labor-intensive fieldwork and analysis by Brown biologists in tropical mountain regions shows that a warmer and drier climate will lead to massive losses of plant species.

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Science and Technology

For Earth Day and beyond, ‘Possibly’ podcast offers practical solutions for a greener world

April 17, 2024

From dishwashing to solar panels, here are 10 important topics explored by students and faculty at the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society as community members look toward climate-conscious decisions.

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Environment

What happens after the globe reaches net-zero emissions?

February 5, 2024

Brown climate scientist Baylor Fox-Kemper co-authored a new study of the diverse factors controlling global temperatures, offering a framework for improving warming predictions.

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Science and Technology

Through real-world projects, Brown environmental course explores contemporary climate issues

December 6, 2023

Environmental Studies 0110 is both an introductory course on environmental change in the 21st century and a hands-on lab where students engage with how local communities and the natural environment intersect.

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Science and Technology

New state-of-the-art sensor at Brown is enabling city-specific air quality measurements in Providence

November 28, 2023

A high-grade air quality sensor installed on Brown’s campus is providing detailed measurements of carbon dioxide and methane concentrations in Providence, painting a clearer picture of local air quality.

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Science and Technology

Venus had Earth-like plate tectonics billions of years ago, study suggests

October 26, 2023

Simulations produced by a Brown-led research team offer evidence that Venus once had plate tectonics — a finding that opens the door for the possibility of early life on the planet and insights into its history.

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News and Events

Podcasts at Brown explore a range of topics, engage listeners through informative conversations

September 13, 2023

Brown community members offer expertise and insights into a wide array of subjects, from climate change and international economies to pop culture and religion, through more than two dozen podcasts.

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News and Events

At 260th Convocation, Brown University welcomes incoming students

September 5, 2023

Brown’s Opening Convocation brought moments of celebration, levity and poignancy, as University leaders upheld their commitment to advancing diversity on campus and urged students to continue fighting for sustainable climate solutions.

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Science and Technology

Connecting beyond the shore: DEEPS graduate students get to know Narragansett Bay and each other

August 31, 2023

As part of an annual excursion geared toward incoming graduate students in Brown’s Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, about 20 students joined Brown faculty on a Save the Bay tour.

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Science and Technology

Brown-led team to establish climate and health research hub for New England coast

August 7, 2023

The project, supported by the National Science Foundation, will focus on creating a set of tools and convening experts to address climate change related challenges faced by communities along the New England coast.

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Science and Technology

Similar to humans, elephants vary what they eat for dinner

July 5, 2023

A detailed analysis of the dietary habits of elephants showed surprising variation from meal to meal, which could have important ramifications for wildlife protection and conservation strategies.

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Science and Technology

How can climate scientists better communicate risk? Brown scholar weighs in

June 27, 2023

Baylor Fox-Kemper, co-author of a new study looking at how climate scientists communicate risk, explains why prompting urgent action on climate change is often so difficult despite the dire consequences.

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Science and Technology

On the eve of Earth Day, Brown climate scientist outlines solutions for a warming world

April 20, 2023

Kim Cobb, a Brown University professor and director of the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, spoke about the need to act on climate change, urging that action must be taken collaboratively and equitably.

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Science and Technology

Study on methane in deep-sea sediments shows small releases happen more often than thought

March 27, 2023

New research describes evidence that deep sea methane deposits change into gas more frequently than could be monitored previously and that a set of fossilized organisms has a unique ability to detect these releases.

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Environment

Biden administration appoints Brown climate scientist Kim Cobb to President’s Intelligence Advisory Board

January 26, 2023

Cobb, a Brown University professor and director of the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, will join a White House advisory board charged with providing independent counsel on U.S. intelligence matters.

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Science and Technology

How climate change impacts the Indian Ocean dipole, leading to severe droughts and floods

January 4, 2023

A study led by Brown researchers showed how melting ice water from massive glaciers can ultimately lead to droughts and flooding in East Africa and Indonesia.

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Environment

Olivia McClain: Exploring hyperlocal air pollution in Providence

August 17, 2022

As a summer research assistant in Brown’s Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, McClain is supporting research and building community connections.

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Social Sciences

Collaboration is key to solving the climate crisis, new IBES director says

August 17, 2022

Kim Cobb, who joined the University in July as director of the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, described how scholars and communities can work together to mitigate the effects of climate change.

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Environment

Brown researchers turn up the heat on climate change solutions

July 15, 2022

From researching the history of Indigenous land stewardship to developing nonpartisan policy ideas, collaborative scholarship at Brown aims to overcome obstacles to meaningful action on climate change.

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Environment

Flooding exacerbates pollution exposure in at-risk urban communities, study finds

June 28, 2022

A new study found that in Providence, R.I., and other cities, rising floodwaters are exposing more people to industrial pollution, and the issue is disproportionately affecting lower-income communities of color.

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Environment

Melting Arctic ice could transform international shipping routes, study finds

June 22, 2022

Melting ice in the Arctic Ocean could yield new trade routes in international waters, reducing the shipping industry’s carbon footprint and weakening Russia’s control over trade routes through the Arctic, a study found.

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Environment

Climate scientist Kim Cobb to lead Institute at Brown for Environment and Society

May 11, 2022

A climate scientist and professor who comes to Brown from Georgia Tech, Cobb will lead IBES, an academic hub for scholars exploring the interactions between natural, human and social systems.

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Environment

Brown professor to lead World Meteorological Organization’s research board

January 11, 2022

Amanda Lynch, a Brown University professor and inaugural director of the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, will chair the board responsible for guiding the World Meteorological Organization’s research agenda.

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Science and Technology

Grant project supports Asian American and Pacific Islander students in geoscience

December 20, 2021

The National Science Foundation will support a project aimed at helping Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders thrive in Earth and geological science education and careers.

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Science and Technology

Brown professor who worked on massive climate change report shares key takeaways

August 9, 2021

Brown professor Baylor Fox-Kemper discusses a landmark report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, for which he served as a coordinating lead author.

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Environment

Brown environmental expert testifies on equity in renewable energy before U.S. House committee

July 16, 2021

Myles Lennon, an assistant professor of environment and society and anthropology, urged members of Congress to support renewable energy research and innovation that could aid and protect marginalized communities in the U.S.

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Science and Technology

Study of past South Asian monsoons suggests stronger monsoon rainfall in the future

June 4, 2021

New research finds that increases in monsoon rainfall over the past million years were linked with increases in atmospheric CO2 and the import of moisture from the southern hemisphere, which suggests stronger rains in the future as CO2 levels rise.

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Science and Technology

What a glacial river reveals about the Greenland ice sheet

April 5, 2021

New research shows that water pressure beneath a glacier influences how fast it flows, a finding that could help in predicting the pace at which glaciers slide into the ocean and drive sea level upward.

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News and Events

Brown launches sustainability strategic plan to confront urgent environmental challenges

March 5, 2021

A new strategic plan for sustainability outlines five key commitments to address Brown’s impact on the natural environment, while calling for an expansion of education and community engagement around sustainability issues.

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Science and Technology

Humans control majority of freshwater ebb and flow on Earth, study finds

March 3, 2021

Satellite observations show that more than half of seasonal freshwater level changes on Earth happen in human-managed reservoirs, underscoring the profound impact humanity has on the global water cycle.

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Science and Technology

Researchers discover a new tool for reconstructing ancient sea ice to study climate change

January 4, 2021

A previously problematic molecule turns out to be a reliable proxy for reconstructing sea ice, a new study by Brown University researchers shows.

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Environment

With global scholarly network, Brown faculty to advance study of climate change countermovement

October 27, 2020

The Climate Social Science Network, based at the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, will bring together leading scholars to catalyze collaborative research on the interests that are stalling climate action.

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Social Sciences

Political, environmental, race scholars share presidential debate takeaways

October 23, 2020

Faculty at Brown shared their thoughts on the final televised presidential debate before the 2020 election, where the two major candidates sparred over COVID-19, climate change and racial justice.

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Environment

Researchers step toward understanding how toxic PFAS chemicals spread from release sites

October 15, 2020

New lab studies are helping researchers to better understand how so called “forever chemicals” behave in soil and water, which can help in understanding how these contaminants spread.

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Environment

Three-year initiative at Brown will study, seek to eliminate roadblocks to climate action

September 29, 2020

The Climate Solutions Initiative will focus on overcoming barriers to confronting climate change, through scholarship, learning and research-informed infrastructure changes on campus, in Providence and beyond.

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News and Events

Brown professor wins prestigious Fulbright award

September 2, 2020

Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Assistant Provost for Sustainability Stephen Porder will study and teach in Paris next year as a De Tocqueville Distinguished Chair.

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