Evelyn Wang '00 has been appointed the Institute’s inaugural vice president for climate (VPC). A leader already well known and widely respected at MIT, Wang '00, will on April 1, 2025.
Wang is the Ford Professor of Engineering and former head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Two years ago, she took a leave to serve the nation as director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E), which supports early-stage R&D on energy generation, storage and use. On April 1, she returns to campus to lead the Climate Project at MIT.
In addition to taking the lead in fundraising and implementation, Evelyn will shape the Climate Project’s strategic vision. "As I have said many times, the accelerating problem of climate change and its countless impacts represent the greatest scientific, technical and policy challenge of this or any age. The Climate Project is MIT’s strategic response," said MIT President Sally Kornbluth in her announcement. "We are tremendously fortunate that Evelyn Wang has agreed to lead this crucial work – and I’m eager to see the progress we can achieve together."