Hannah Safford

An engineer’s approach to problem-solving—breaking difficult problems down into manageable and logically ordered tasks—is one of the best strategies we have for tackling climate change and other pressing environmental issues. At the same time, sound policy is needed to scale up and implement science-backed solutions in ways that are practical and minimize adverse impacts.

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I am passionate about combining the tools of science with the power of public institutions to ensure a more sustainable future. I completed White House tours of service under both President Obama and President Biden, during which I co-organized the first-ever White House Water Summit,oversaw development of the National Climate Resilience Framework, helped finalize historic vehicle emissions standards, and guided implementation of dozens of programs under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. My direct public service additionally includes positions at the U.S. Forest Service, the San Francisco Department of the Environment, the San Francisco International Airport, and the City of Davis Natural Resources Commission.

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Outside of government, I've worked to translate scientific research into actionable insights for policymakers. At the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), I worked closely with subject-matter experts and federal officials to embed evidence-based policymaking and environmental justice as part of environmental decision making. I also led programs training scientists to become better policy contributors as part of FAS's Day One Project. At UC Davis, my doctoral research focused on improving and applying methods for detecting viruses in wastewater. I applied this research to the award-winning Healthy Davis Together pandemic response program, which continuously monitored wastewater and sewage samples as an early warning system for potential outbreaks of COVID-19 throughout Northern California. In parallel, I worked on issues related to clean energy and transportation through the Policy Institute for Energy, Environment, and the Economy. 

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My work and commentary has been featured on MSNBC and Al Jazeera, as well as in Nature, PNAS, and others. I hold a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from UC Davis, as well as an MPA in Public and International Affairs, an M.Eng in Environmental Engineering and Water Resources, and a B.S.E. in Chemical and Biological Engineering, all from Princeton University.