Duke Welcomes Victoria Salinas as Fourth Climate Leader in Residence
Salinas' one-year residency at Duke will be based at the Nicholas School of the Environment and the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability.
Victoria Salinas, a globally recognized leader in climate resilience, risk reduction and disaster recovery, began a yearlong term as Duke University’s fourth Climate Leader in Residence (CLIR) in June. The CLIR program brings top thought leaders to Duke to share insights and expertise, sparking discussion and action to advance climate solutions.
Salinas most recently served as Deputy Administrator for Resilience at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) under the Biden administration. With more than two decades of experience spanning government, nonprofits and the private sector, she has worked at the local, national and international levels to reduce risk and protect communities. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for ICLEI-USA: Local Governments for Sustainability and advises consulting firms and investors on climate and resilience strategy.
Salinas’ residency will focus on unlocking new pathways for financing community climate adaptation and accelerating the deployment of breakthrough resilience technologies. She will be based at the Nicholas School of the Environment and the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability.
“In my time leading resilience at FEMA, two realities became increasingly clear,” said Salinas. “First, we simply don’t have enough federal funding to meet the full scale of climate adaptation needs across the country—so unlocking private and philanthropic investment for community resilience is essential. Second, even when projects have funding, progress is often slowed by traditional building approaches and supply chain challenges. To accelerate risk reduction and keep more households, businesses and communities safe, we need to scale breakthrough technologies that can dramatically change how we build resilience.”
At Duke, Salinas will work across sectors—partnering with faculty, students, communities, investors and peer institutions—to prototype new approaches that help communities access capital for adaptation projects and support innovators in bringing resilience technologies to market. This work will span from developing investment-ready pilots in North Carolina to creating frameworks and tools that better connect climate solutions with the resources to scale them.
Through mentorship and speaking engagements, Salinas will help prepare Duke students interested in careers in climate adaptation, resilience finance and disaster risk management. In addition, she will provide input on climate resilience efforts across Duke University.
“I’m honored to have the opportunity to work alongside Duke University’s entrepreneurial faculty, passionate students and cross-campus innovation networks,” Salinas added. “The university is uniquely positioned to help turn promising climate ideas into real-world impact.”
Two Duke faculty members nominated Salinas and will cohost her as a resident: Jesko von Windheim, Lynn Gorguze-Scott Peters Professor of the Practice of Environmental Entrepreneurship & Innovation at the Nicholas School of the Environment, and Lydia Olander, a program director at the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability and an adjunct professor at the Nicholas School.
“Victoria is uniquely equipped to develop a framework for sound investment in North Carolina adaptation and resilience efforts,” von Windheim said. “She’s equally prepared to guide Nicholas School faculty in commercializing innovative climate solutions.”
Salinas’ last four years at FEMA marked her second stint at the agency. During that time, she led 3,000 employees who worked to strengthen disaster resilience nationwide. In her leadership role, she oversaw nearly $10 billion in federal investments and financial support through the National Flood Insurance Program and a portfolio of grants for risk reduction, climate adaptation, preparedness and recovery.
Salinas spearheaded several innovative programs at FEMA. For example, she was responsible for implementing the Community Disaster Resilience Zones Act, using data and modeling to identify U.S. communities most susceptible to climate impacts and disaster risk. She also reformed policies to improve access to federal resources and technical assistance for often overlooked communities.
In 2014, Salinas was named the first chief resilience officer of Oakland, California, leading citywide efforts to prepare for climate threats and earthquakes. As senior vice president of FUSE Corps from 2017 to 2021, she grew the national nonprofit’s fellowship program to increase the capacity of local governments to tackle systemic challenges ranging from climate resilience to economic development.
Earlier in her career, Salinas gained international experience working for the World Bank and United Nations, managing multimillion-dollar grant portfolios, advising governments, coordinating high-level policy initiatives and providing post-disaster support for community recovery.
Salinas earned a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. She holds an undergraduate degree in foreign service from Georgetown University.
“We’re eager to welcome Victoria to Duke and the Nicholas School,” said Lori Bennear, Stanback Dean of the Nicholas School. “Her unique insights and diverse experiences will complement faculty research and inform course curricula, as well as expand the school’s ability to help communities most vulnerable to climate change.”
About Duke’s Climate Leaders in Residence Program
Launched in 2024, the CLIR program leverages the leaders’ experience, expertise and networks as they collaborate with Duke faculty and staff on pragmatic climate research and initiatives that could lead to significant change in the near future. They also enrich Duke students’ learning through mentorship, teaching and other activities.
The CLIR program advances the aims of the Duke Climate Commitment, which unites the university’s education, research, operations and public service missions to address climate challenges. The program is funded this year by the Presidential Climate Action and Innovation Fund, an endowment established by the Nicholas Family in support of the Duke Climate Commitment. The Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability oversees the CLIR program.