Sarah Billington

Talk Title: Sustainable Urban Futures: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Building for Wellbeing

Cities are transforming our world. Not only do urban growth and development drive innovation, they also create environmental, economic, and social sustainability challenges. In this talk, I will discuss how the built environment impacts human wellbeing and present recent research on smart building design, affordable housing, and supply chain transparency, demonstrating how interdisciplinary approaches can create more resilient, ethical, and human-centered urban futures.

Bio: I am currently the UPS Foundation Professor and Professor and Chair of Civil & Environmental Engineering and a Senior Fellow in the Woods Institute for the Environment. Since joining Stanford in 2003, my research has transitioned from a focus on innovative construction materials to the impact of the built environment on human wellbeing and ethical construction practices. I received my B.S.E. from Princeton University and my M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. Through interdisciplinary research, my lab aims to support the creation of built environments that balance technological innovation with human and environmental needs.