Katherine Kao Cushing

Katherine is a professor and chair of the Department of Environmental Studies at San Jose State University. The department is the academic home for over 250 undergraduate and 40 graduate students working to better understand and address today’s most pressing sustainability issues, ranging from drought management to biodiversity conservation. She also served as the executive director of CommUniverCity SJSU, an award-winning community-engaged learning non-profit serving low-income residents in Central San Jose. She is a nationally recognized expert on sustainability and water resources management and has advised departments in the United Nations, Fortune 500 companies, the cities of San Jose and Palo Alto, California, and the Army Corps of Engineers. She holds a doctoral degree in civil and environmental engineering from Stanford University. Prior to joining SJSU, Katherine was a faculty member at Stanford. When Katherine’s children were young, they participated in Hidden Villa’s summer camps and are the inspiration for her trustee service.