Newsha K Ajami

Newsha Khodatalab Ajami is an Iranian-American hydrologist, civil engineer, and environmental policy expert. She is recognized for her work in sustainable urban water management, water-energy-food nexus analytics, and the application of data science to environmental governance and climate resilience. She serves as the Founding Director of Governance for Risk, Resilience, and Recovery (GR3) Program at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability.

Ajami previously served as Chief Strategic Development Officer for the Earth and Environmental Sciences Area at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and as Director of Urban Water Policy at Stanford University's Water in the West program.

Early life and education Ajami was born and raised in Tehran, Iran. From a young age she was fascinated by math and problem solving games, and spent much of her time playing with Legos. During her time as an undergraduate she had the opportunity to intern with a consulting company that helped develop decision support tools to aid in dam operation and reservoir management in Iran. This opportunity sparked Ajami's interest in the environmental and social implications of water, and decision making process. After entering the field of hydrological sciences, Ajami continued her studies in the United States at the University of Arizona, where she received her M.S. in hydrology and water resources. Though she is a trained scientist, her work focuses on creating financial and social incentives to mitigate water use and practices for the future of California residents. She applies her hydrologic mathematical models that explain the natural and physical processes of water to climate change, in order to better predict and forecast the future of water disturbances. Needless to say, her research is groundbreaking in its implications and practical uses for the future development of water usage in California. During this fellowship, she served as a scientific consultant and policy advisor directly to the California Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee, bridging technical climate and hydrological research with state legislative processes. For Ajami, the fellowship opportunity provided her with a transition into politics and the legal system in relation to environmental issues.

Public service and advisory roles Ajami has been appointed to high-level regional public utility and water governance boards in California: San Francisco Public Utilities Commission: Appointed by the Mayor of San Francisco, she served as a commissioner and president from 2021 to 2024, focusing on equity, water affordability, and climate adaptation. San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board: Served two terms as a gubernatorial appointee (2013–2021), during which she championed the integration of green infrastructure into regional stormwater policies. National Academies: She has been a standing member of the Board on Water Science and Technology at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine since 2018.

Personal life Ajami resides in San Francisco with her husband and two children. Ajami served as a mayoral appointee to San Francisco Public Utilities Commission from 2021 to 2024 and was a gubernatorial appointee to the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board from 2013-2021.