Newsha Ajami is a leading expert in sustainable and resilient water resource management, smart cities, and the water-energy-food nexus. At EESA, she oversees interdisciplinary research and outreach initiatives at the nexus of water, energy, and climate. Previously, she founded and led the Urban Water Policy Program at Stanford University and served as a Science Policy Fellow in California's Legislature. She holds a master's in hydrology and water resources from the University of Arizona, and a PhD in civil and environmental engineering from the University of California, Irvine.