Susan Clark

Susan Clark is an Assistant Professor and Director of the Master’s in Sustainability Leadership program at the University at Buffalo. She holds the Edward J. Kikta Jr. Innovation Professor of Experiential Learning title within the Department of Environment and Sustainability, College of Arts and Sciences. Her research focuses on climate vulnerability, infrastructure resilience, and the social impacts of disasters. Dr. Clark’s work quantifies the effects of power outages on communities and develops equity-focused metrics for disaster resilience planning.

Education:

• PhD in Sustainability, Arizona State University (2013)
• MS in Earth System Science, University of New Hampshire (2008)
• BS in Atmospheric Science, University at Albany (2006)

Her research interests span climate change adaptation, sustainable development, and community resilience. Key areas include infrastructure disruptions during extreme weather events, equity in climate policy, and leveraging experiential education for sustainability leadership. Recent studies address the social burden of power outages in Puerto Rico and Texas, extreme heat adaptation in New York, and interdisciplinary approaches to resilience planning.

Dr. Clark’s publications emphasize integrating social equity into infrastructure resilience strategies and advancing methodologies for measuring disaster impacts. Her work bridges academic research with practical applications, informing policies to enhance community preparedness and reduce vulnerability.