Wolfram Schlenker

Wolfram Schlenker is the Ray A. Goldberg Professor of the Global Food System at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government (HKS). His research focuses on the economic impacts of climate change on agriculture, migration, and commodity prices, with a particular emphasis on extreme weather events and policy responses. He holds a PhD in Agricultural and Resource Economics from UC Berkeley (2003), a Master of Engineering and Management from the University of Karlsruhe (2000), and a Master of Environmental Management from Duke University (1998).

Professor Schlenker’s work spans interdisciplinary areas including climate science, environmental economics, and public policy. He examines how rising temperatures, droughts, and pollution affect crop yields, food security, and human health. Key projects include analyzing the efficacy of irrigation systems in mitigating heat stress and studying the interplay between climate policies and market expectations. He currently serves on the Board of Reviewing Editors at Science and is a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER).

His research has yielded over 50 peer-reviewed articles, with recent work emphasizing compound climate extremes, microplastic pollution’s health impacts, and the economic implications of the Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5). Schlenker has advised policymakers on climate resilience strategies, bioenergy potential, and agricultural insurance reforms. His former students occupy prominent roles in academia, international organizations, and policy institutions worldwide.