Skip to main content

Elizabeth Losos

Adjunct Professor
Environmental Sciences and Policy
Box 90335, Durham, NC 27708
140 Science Drive, Gross Hall Suite 101, Durham, NC 27708

Overview


Elizabeth Losos is an executive in residence at the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability and adjunct professor at the Nicholas School of the Environment. Her work focuses on how to promote sustainable and resilient infrastructure through policy research on infrastructure standards, environmental and social impacts, and enabling conditions. Dr. Losos also heads the ISLE Initiative, a global network of learning hubs to build sustainable infrastructure capacity through case-based peer learning. She is co-convener of the Resilience Roadmap Project, an initiative to support US federal agencies and their partners in building equitable climate resilience. She also is the Duke lead for Infrastructure for Good, a research initiative of Economist Impact in partnership with Deloitte and the Nicholas Institute; the centerpiece of the program is a barometer that compares infrastructure ecosystems in countries around the world.
 
Losos formerly was president and CEO of the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS), a global consortium of universities and research institutes with the mission of promoting education, research, and the responsible use of natural resources in the tropics. Prior to her tenure with OTS, Losos was the director of the Smithsonian Institution’s Center for Tropical Forest Science, a global network of large-scale forest demography programs.

Current Appointments & Affiliations


In the News


Published September 17, 2024
Can Debt-For-Nature Swaps Help Achieve Climate Goals?
Published May 28, 2024
How Can Forgiving Debt Benefit the Environment? Q&A with Duke Experts
Published October 27, 2023
Sustainability Discussions On Tap for Steelman’s Upcoming Trip to Asia

View All News

Recent Publications


Developing Key Performance Indicators for Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Planning

Report · August 17, 2022 This document from the Resilience Roadmap project recommends a common approach to developing key performance indicators (KPIs) for climate change adaptation and resilience planning, drawing upon current science and tools referenced throughout. The work is ... Open Access Link to item Cite

Building a Common Approach: Global Infrastructure Standards

Report · June 21, 2022 Well-planned, -designed, and -built infrastructure projects are critically needed to improve economic productivity, transition to a low-carbon economy, mitigate environmental risks, and promote human rights and social inclusion. Both public- and private-se ... Open Access Link to item Cite
View All Publications

Recent Grants


Infrastructure Sustainability Learning (ISLE) Network

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Schmidt Initiative for Long Covid, LLC · 2024 - 2025

The Climate Resilience Roadmap 2025

Public ServiceCo Investigator · Awarded by David & Lucile Packard Foundation · 2024 - 2025

IUCRC Planning Grant Duke University: Center for Innovation in Risk-analysis for Climate Adaptation and Decision-making (CIRCAD)

ResearchParticipating Faculty Member · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2024 - 2025

View All Grants

Education, Training & Certifications


Princeton University · 1993 Ph.D.