Melissa Finucane has been appointed as the first William and Jane Knapp Endowed Infinity Chair at Stony Brook University. Finucane, who specializes in climate change response planning, brings over 25 years of experience in research, education, and outreach related to climate adaptation, disaster policy analysis, risk communication, and social equity.
Paul Shepson, dean of the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University, said: “Developing and implementing climate change adaptation and response plans must combine sound climate and climate impacts data with social science analysis and approaches to be most effective. Dr. Finucane’s experience and team building abilities will further solidify Stony Brook’s status as a leader in climate change solutions and she will inspire and guide our students to become leaders in this field.”
Finucane was most recently vice president of science and innovation at the Union of Concerned Scientists. Before that, she worked at the RAND Corporation for several years, including two years as co-director of its Climate Resilience Center.
Carl W. Lejuez, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost at Stony Brook University stated: “In Dr. Finucane, we found an expert who understands the dynamics between physical and societal facets of climate change, including policy, environmental justice and socio-economics. Her expertise and experience aligns perfectly with Stony Brook’s commitment to catalyzing innovation to support our state, nation and the global community. We are deeply grateful to William and Jane Knapp for their support for this vital work.”
Finucane's career has focused on combining social sciences with other disciplines to advance evidence-based responses to environmental challenges—especially those affecting underserved communities. She has led large-scale projects designed to integrate scientific evidence into decision-making processes across public utilities companies as well as disaster response programs. Among her achievements is helping develop resilience programs for communities along the Gulf Coast that are prone to disasters.
William Knapp ’78 commented: “We are honored to have created the William and Jane Knapp Endowed Infinity Chair and look forward to welcoming Melissa Finucane to the role and to Stony Brook. The Knapp Infinity Chair appointment represents an innovative, prestigious endowed position designed to help formulate adaptation strategies and effective responses to one of the most pressing issues of our time.”
The Knapps have previously supported various initiatives at both Stony Brook University and Stony Brook Medicine through their Gardener Foundation—including endowing faculty positions such as chairs in energy/environment (held by Esther Takeuchi) and pharmacological sciences (held by Basil Rigas).
Jane Knapp ’78 added: “We are delighted to welcome Melissa as the inaugural Knapp Endowed Infinity Chair at Stony Brook. Her experience and expertise in developing resilience plans that connect the science of climate change to a deep understanding of risk communication and policy planning represents the next step in Stony Brook’s position as a climate leader, and we are proud to be able to support this critical work.”
Finucane's research has received funding from organizations such as NOAA (National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration), U.S. Department of Homeland Security, National Science Foundation (NSF), and National Institutes of Health (NIH). She holds a PhD in psychology from the University of Western Australia.