Julie Newman
Advisor, Earth5R BlueCities Network | Founding Director of Sustainability, MIT | Former Founding Director, Yale Office of Sustainability | Fellow, Oxford University
Dr. Julie Newman is one of the most recognized leaders in the field of institutional sustainability, with more than two decades of experience designing and advancing strategies that connect academia, operations, and society. As the Founding Director of the MIT Office of Sustainability (MITOS), she has transformed the way sustainability is approached in higher education and urban ecosystems.
Since joining MIT in 2013, Dr. Newman has led groundbreaking efforts to integrate climate and environmental considerations into the Institute’s teaching, research, and operations. Her work has focused on reimagining how energy, water, food, and mobility systems can be designed in a campus-city partnership model. Under her leadership, MIT has become a hub for innovative sustainability solutions that not only reduce carbon emissions but also prepare communities for the urgent realities of climate change.
Before her tenure at MIT, Dr. Newman was the founding Director of Yale University’s Office of Sustainability, where she created one of the first comprehensive sustainability strategies in the United States. Her leadership established Yale as a model for higher education institutions around the world. She also served as a lecturer at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, where she inspired students to bridge theory with practice.
Her journey began at the University of New Hampshire, where she launched one of the earliest campus sustainability programs in the country. These early initiatives laid the foundation for her lifelong mission: embedding sustainability as a core value in education and urban development.
Global Impact and Networks
Dr. Newman’s influence extends globally. She is a non-academic fellow at Queen’s College, Oxford University, and contributes actively to the International Sustainable Campus Network (ISCN). Her global collaborations connect universities, policymakers, and businesses to advance sustainability leadership across sectors and geographies.
In addition, she serves as the Founding Advisor to the BlueCities Sustainability Network by Earth5R, a global initiative focused on restoring rivers and urban ecosystems. In this role, she helps design frameworks that blend rigorous academic thinking with practical, scalable solutions for cities around the world.
Recognition and Philosophy
Dr. Newman holds a Ph.D. in Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, with her academic research focused on how institutions and communities can collaborate to drive environmental change. Her philosophy is grounded in systems thinking, community partnerships, and the belief that universities are living laboratories for sustainability innovation.
Today, Dr. Newman continues to shape the field through teaching, mentorship, research, and global advisory roles. Her legacy is one of building bridges—between academia and society, research and practice, and vision and implementation.