Scott D. Odell

About

Scott is a Program Scientist in the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative (ESI), where he leads the Program on Mining and the Circular Economy. He is also an Assistant Research Professor of Geography at George Washington University. As a political ecologist, he works with students, communities, NGOs, companies, and government officials to explore environmental justice concerns of critical mineral mining for the clean energy transition. He has active research projects in Latin America, the continental United States, and the Arctic and teaches courses on sustainability, climate change, mining, and development. 

Scott's work has been funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), Sloan Foundation, Inter-American Foundation, MIT Jameel Water and Food Systems Lab (J-WAFS), and MIT Sloan Latin America Office (MSLAO). Previously, he was a Postdoctoral Associate at MIT's ESI, a resident tutor at Harvard University, and a Program Associate at the Inter-American Dialogue. He has a Ph.D. and M.A. from the Graduate School of Geography at Clark University and a B.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University. He is based in Washington, DC, and enjoys playing and listening to music, cross-country skiing, running, backpacking, biking, and cooking with family and friends.