Kemen Austin is the Director of Science of the Forests and Climate Change program, where she manages a research portfolio aimed at delivering nature-based climate change mitigation solutions. This includes producing science to inform public policies, influence corporate sustainability commitments, and drive climate finance towards the protection, improved management, and restoration of forests and peatlands around the world.

Dr. Austin previously worked at the World Resources Institute, where she supported the development of Global Forest Watch and tools for tracking deforestation in agricultural commodity supply chains. She also worked at RTI International, where she led research aimed at understanding the potential magnitude, costs, benefits, and distributional impacts of climate change mitigation and land use programs and policies. Kemen holds a PhD from Duke University, as well as master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Brown University.