Celina Scott-Buechler

(Incoming) Assistant Professor of Climate Policy

Welcome! I am an incoming Assistant Professor of Climate Policy at Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy, beginning summer 2025. I am currently wrapping up my JD-PhD at the Stanford University Doerr School of Sustainability in the Emmett Interdisciplinary Program for Environment and Resources (E-IPER) and Stanford Law School. I study the equitable governance of climate action with a focus on carbon dioxide removal (CDR), communities in transition, and climate and environmental justice.

My research aims to uplift community needs and experiences to inform policies that build equitable new climate-relevant sectors like renewable energy and carbon dioxide removal. An interdisciplinary, mixed-methods social scientist and policy specialist, I collaborate with community-based organizations, environmental NGOs, federal and state agencies, and academic institutions.

I graduated with my bachelor’s from Cornell University, where I also earned my master's in atmospheric science.

I am beginning to recruit students for the 2025 application cycle (to begin studies in Fall 2026). If you're interested in joining my lab (even if you're on the fence at this stage), please feel free to reach out. Applicants with backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in higher education are especially encouraged to reach out, including to better understand the process of applying for graduate studies (or undergraduate studies, though I know less about this application process).

You can reach me at celina.scott-buechler@duke.edu.