Annual Conference Keynote Speaker Highlight – Dr. Lucas Joppa

WLIA is pleased to have Dr. Lucas Joppa serve as one of three Keynote Speakers at our annual conference February 23-25, 2021 at the Osthoff Resort in Elkhart Lake. Dr. Lucas Joppa is Microsoft’s first Chief Environmental Officer, leading the development and execution of the company’s sustainability strategy across its worldwide business. In this role, he drives Microsoft’s core commitment to sustainability through ongoing technology innovation, program development, policy advancement, and global operational excellence. With a combined background in both environmental science and data science, Dr. Joppa is committed to using the power of technology to advance a growing movement to address the world’s sustainability needs. Dr. Joppa leads Microsoft’s ambitious plans to become a carbon negative, water positive, zero waste company and to build a new planetary computing platform that will transform the way we monitor, model, and manage Earth’s natural systems. 

Dr. Lucas Joppa is Microsoft’s first Chief Environmental Officer, leading the development and execution of the company’s sustainability strategy across its worldwide business. With a Ph.D. in Ecology from Duke University and recognition by Fortune magazine in its “40 Under 40” list, Dr. Joppa is a uniquely accredited voice for sustainability in the tech industry. He is an Associate Editor in Chief for the Ecological Society of America’s EcoSphere journal, an honorary Fellow at the UN Environment Program World Conservation Monitoring Center, and he serves on the boards of leading scientific organizations. Dr. Joppa remains an active scientist, recognized as one of the world’s most highly cited researchers. Previously, Dr. Joppa was Chief Environmental Scientist in Microsoft Research, where he founded the AI for Earth program—a $50 million cross-company effort dedicated to delivering technology-enabled solutions to global environmental challenges. Along with his Ph.D., Dr. Joppa holds a B.S. in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Wisconsin.