High Meadows Environmental Institute

The High Meadows Environmental Institute (HMEI) at Princeton University advances understanding of the Earth as a complex system influenced by human activities, and informs solutions to local and global challenges by conducting groundbreaking research across disciplines and by preparing future leaders in diverse fields to impact a world increasingly shaped by climate change. HMEI functions as a vibrant central resource for faculty, postdocs, students, alumni, and others with an interest in environmental topics and research. More than 120 members of the Princeton faculty, representing 30 academic disciplines, are active with HMEI and contribute to the teaching of scientific, technical, policy, and human dimensions of environmental issues. HMEI serves as a center for environmental education, ideas, and dialogue through robust undergraduate and graduate teaching and certificate programs, research centers and initiatives, and public events addressing a range of environmental topics. Founded in 1994 as the Princeton Environmental Institute, HMEI was renamed in 2020 in recognition of a transformative gift from the High Meadows Foundation, a philanthropic organization co-founded by Judy and Carl Ferenbach III, a member of the Class of 1964, in support of environmental research and educational initiatives through HMEI.