Pavi Selvakumar is an environmental social scientist interested in how communities navigate sustainability, environmental justice, and resilience in the face of today’s climate challenges. She earned her Ph.D. in Environmental Science from Oklahoma State University. Her dissertation investigated how institutional structures, campus culture, state politics, and leadership priorities influence the development of sustainability initiatives at U.S. land-grant universities. During her Ph.D., she also worked as a Graduate Research Assistant with the Social Dynamics team of the NSF EPSCoR S3OK project, collaborating with an interdisciplinary group of researchers to address wicked environmental problems facing the state.
Pavi holds a bachelor’s degree in Information Technology from India and a master’s degree in Environmental Assessment and Management from the United Kingdom. Her interdisciplinary background drives a research approach that combines technical fluency with a strong foundation in environmental policy and social inquiry.
As a postdoctoral research scientist at the Columbia Climate School, she contributes to the Resilient Coastal Communities Project (RCCP), exploring how artificial intelligence and climate justice can be integrated to support equitable resilience planning in frontline communities.