Jennifer Burney

Jennifer Burney is a Professor in the Department of Climate/Atmospheric Sciences/Physical Oceanography at the University of California San Diego. She leads the Environment & Policy Group, focusing on interdisciplinary research addressing the nexus of climate, energy, water, and food systems. Her work integrates methods from physics, ecology, economics, and policy to explore climate mitigation strategies and their impacts on development objectives.

Education includes a PhD in Physics from Stanford University (2007) and an A.B. in History and Science from Harvard College (1999). Key research areas include short-lived climate pollutants' role in climate and health, climate change impacts on agriculture, and water resource management. She employs satellite data, fieldwork, and modeling to analyze environmental policy efficacy and equity.

Recent studies emphasize wildfire smoke's health impacts, agricultural adaptation to climate stress, and the interplay between aerosol emissions and climate policy. Her work highlights systemic environmental inequities revealed during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in air quality disparities. Collaborative projects include global crop water stress analysis and socio-ecological resilience programs for smallholder farmers in Brazil and Benin.

Burney’s research bridges physical sciences with policy, addressing urgent challenges like sustainable land use, water security, and climate justice. She advocates for solutions that harmonize environmental stewardship with human development needs.