UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Jacqueline O’Connor has been named acting director of the Penn State Climate Consortium effective July 1. She will provide leadership to the consortium while Erica Smithwick, Climate Consortium director and distinguished professor of geography, is on sabbatical through June 2026.
“I am honored to be selected as the acting director of the Penn State Climate Consortium,” O’Connor said. “It’s a privilege to work alongside such a dedicated and forward-thinking group of researchers and partners. I look forward to another year of advancing innovative, interdisciplinary programs that deepen our understanding of environmental risks and deliver practical solutions to help communities navigate extreme weather and other urgent challenges.”
O’Connor, professor of mechanical engineering and the director of the Reacting Flow Dynamics Laboratory, has been an associate director of the Penn State Climate Consortium since May 2024. During that time, she has provided guidance and support for the consortium’s key efforts, including the Climate Solutions Symposium, a two-day event focused on advancing practical, innovative solutions to today’s climate challenges, and the Climate Solutions Accelerator Program, a program designed to foster impactful research and bring effective climate solutions to communities in Pennsylvania and around the world.
“I am thrilled to have Dr. O’Connor step into the role of acting director,” said Smithwick. “Her deep expertise in decarbonization, commitment to collaborative research and clear vision for impact make her an exceptional leader. I’m confident she will continue to drive the consortium’s mission forward and help shape meaningful solutions to today’s most pressing environmental challenges.”
O’Connor’s research efforts focus on decarbonization solutions for hard-to-decarbonize sectors like aviation, marine transport and dispatchable power generation. She said she views her work as deeply connected to advancing climate resilience and delivering practical, solutions-oriented approaches to environmental challenges.
“My work is fundamentally about finding realistic, scalable pathways to cut emissions in sectors that are the most difficult to decarbonize,” O’Connor said. “If we want to build true climate resilience, we have to address these challenges because without solutions for aviation, shipping and reliable power, the broader energy transition simply can’t succeed.”