Maxine Burkett

Maxine Burkett is the Emerson Collective Professor of Climate, Environment, and Society at Stanford University’s Doerr School of Sustainability and the Faculty Director of the Stanford Center for Just Environmental Futures. Burkett’s research examines the relationship between environmental change and inequity and its impact on frontline communities, both domestic and international. With a background in law and diplomacy, her areas of expertise include climate change law and policy (international, national, subnational), climate-related migration, and climate change and human security. Prior to joining Stanford, Professor Burkett served in senior roles at the White House and the State Department in the Biden-Harris Administration. At the State Department she oversaw the formulation and implementation of U.S. foreign policy on the oceans, the Arctic, the Antarctic, and marine conservation in her role as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans, Fisheries, and Polar Affairs. She also served as a Senior Advisor to Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, where her portfolio included climate security, bilateral relationships with island nations, and Indigenous Peoples’ engagement. From 2021 to 2023, Burkett was a Visiting Professor at Harvard Medical School’s Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, where she advanced research on climate justice and public health.