Esther Conrad

A 2012 Switzer Fellow, Esther is deeply invested in policy-relevant research and partnerships to address critical sustainability challenges, especially in the context of water and climate change, and environmental justice. She brings extensive experience and a deep commitment to collaboration from both a practical and academic perspective. Through various roles in university settings, Esther has developed and participated in numerous partnerships with governmental and non-governmental organizations to advance sustainability research while generating impact.

Currently, Esther serves as the research manager at the Bill Lane Center for the American West at Stanford University, where she manages group research projects, liaises with external research partners, and mentors undergraduate and graduate student researchers. Esther’s current projects, each undertaken in partnership with a local or state government agency, span a range of sustainability-related topics, including governance of groundwater resources in California, challenges facing local governments in the transition to zero emission vehicles, and permit streamlining in the context of wildfire management.

From 2018 – 2023, Esther directed community-engaged learning initiatives for environmental sustainability at Stanford University. In this role, Esther built and maintained numerous university-community partnerships, and launched Partnerships for Climate Justice in the Bay Area (PCJ in the Bay) initiative, fostering sustained relationships between Stanford and external partners working to address climate change and equity. Prior to this, Esther was a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford’s Water in the West Program, with a focus on understanding collaborative approaches to groundwater governance in California. 

Previously, Esther managed problem-driven research projects involving extensive international collaborations at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society at Columbia University’s Earth Institute. She also worked at the United Nations Development Programme to analyze community-led projects linking renewable energy and livelihoods. Esther holds a PhD in Environmental Science, Policy and Management from the University of California Berkeley, a Master’s degree in International Affairs from Columbia University, a Master’s degree in Development Studies from the University of Cambridge, and a Bachelor of Sciences in Earth Systems from Stanford University.