Deeply concerned about the formidable changes that the climate crisis will bring to all aspects of life on earth, alumni Lynn Lander and Marshall Rafal launched a new affinity group, The Cooper Union Climate Initiative (CUCI). The pair, chemical engineers who graduated in 1960 and '63 respectively, want to encourage Cooper students from all three schools to enter professional fields dedicated to slowing climate change while mitigating its present impact on communities around the world.

Lander, who formerly served as a Cooper Union trustee, said that CUCI was created with two goals: first to make students aware of careers related to climate and, second, to connect students to related internships. Having worked for 41 years in research and development at Unilever, Lander said he looks at climate from a risk-management perspective. And the risk, he told the audience, is indeed grave. “Don’t worry because the earth will repair itself… in a few hundred thousand years.”

Lander's co-founder, Marshall Rafal, immediately pointed out that The Cooper Union is well-situated to make a big impact on climate change since a whopping 40% of the world's carbon dioxide emissions is generated by building and infrastructure industries—an area of obvious professional interest to many Cooper graduates. Rafal explained that he been invited by chemical engineering professor Amanda Simson to lecture in her Advanced Thermodynamics course, and that, he said, "led to engaging with Cooper’s amazing young students." It motivated him to found an Alumni Climate Affinity Group (ACAG) support program for Cooper’s students who want to be part of addressing the issues of global warming/climate change.

CUCI's first event, "Careers in Climate," brought four alumni together—two architects and two engineers—to discuss their professional paths, the work they've accomplished so far, and the possible opportunities in the field for new graduates. Held on September 20 in the Rose Auditorium, the alumni guests included Alon Dominitz CE'93 MEng'95, Chris Benedict AR'86, Frank Jakob ME'76, and Pamela Cabrera AR'12. The four shared stories about their work as engineers and architects looking to combat climate change. From designing houses with exterior insulation to research on renewable energy storage and smart grids, all four offered possible professional avenues for young graduates. And, as Dominitz pointed out, the opportunities will only proliferate since the climate battle is one that's ever-evolving.

Although only one art student was present—the rest were engineers and architects—Cabrera summed up the great need for participants from all disciplines: She told the audience, ”Everyone graduating from Cooper today should work in climate.”