Asha Jordan '13, Environmental Science

Asha Jordan '13 is both a climate and data scientist working at the forefront of an emergent field. As vice president of climate risk at JP Morgan Chase, Jordan studies and informs others about the financial risks associated with climate change.

One of her focal areas is understanding how the physical effects of extreme weather events and a transition to a low-carbon economy influence the stability of banks and the broader economy. Specifically, she studies how environmental shifts can impact consumer lending for things like homes and automobiles. For instance, rising sea levels or floods can pose risks to properties, impacting the terms and conditions of mortgages. And as the world transitions away from high-carbon industries, associated costs could influence credit losses.

"Climate-related financial risk is still really new," she says, noting that she often feels like she's guiding the ship as she's building it. "There just aren't a lot of people with my background who are applying climate change research to finance."

Jordan's background is indeed unique. After majoring in environmental science and minoring in economics at Bucknell, Jordan worked for the Clinton Foundation as an environmental stewardship intern. She then went on to earn master's and doctoral degrees in earth and planetary sciences from Johns Hopkins University.

Jordan credits her Bucknell education for encouraging her to chase her passions, even if they didn't fit neatly into one discipline.

"My liberal arts education meant I could go where I was drawn," she says. "It also helped me develop important critical-thinking skills." While she knows there's no simple fix to climate change, Jordan enjoys playing a part in solving the puzzle. "So much of climate-related risk is uncertain and unknown," she says. "I'm excited to get up every day and tackle this work."