An internationally recognized expert on climate change, international trade, and global environmental policy, Haverkamp also holds faculty appointments as Professor from Practice at Michigan Law School and Professor of Practice at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy and will continue teaching.
“It has been an enormous privilege to work alongside such talented and dedicated colleagues, and I am proud of what we have accomplished together. This moment is bittersweet—while I’m eager for the personal and professional opportunities ahead, I will deeply miss our collaborations. I'm excited to witness and celebrate U-M’s sustainability leadership in the years ahead, and to continue contributing through my teaching.”
During her tenure, Haverkamp expanded and deepened Graham’s boundary-spanning role in advancing cross-campus, cross-sector sustainability research and practice. She strengthened the institute’s collaborations with faculty, students, communities, NGOs, government agencies, foundations, and the private sector, leveraging the expertise of diverse partners to turn ambitious ideas into real-world results.
One of her hallmark achievements as director was the launch of the Center for EmPowering Communities (EPC), conceived and led by Sarah Mills. The center supports Michigan communities across the urban-rural spectrum as they leverage decarbonization opportunities to advance their goals and enhance their quality of life. In partnership with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) and others, EPC runs programs such as the Catalyst Leadership Circle and the Renewable Energy Academy, equipping local governments with tools, support, and resources to meet sustainability goals.
During Haverkamp’s tenure Graham also secured two highly competitive renewals totaling $45 million of NOAA’s National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) Science Collaborative, positioning U-M as the hub for a national program supporting research across 30 coastal reserves. Projects address coastal health and resilience while linking end-users with researchers and decision-makers. Haverkamp often highlighted this program as emblematic of Graham’s mission: ensuring sustainability research is engaged, actionable, and impactful.
Another of her signature initiatives was the Carbon Neutrality Acceleration Program (CNAP), launched in 2020 with a $5 million anonymous gift. CNAP supports high-potential, scalable research across disciplines to advance decarbonization. To date, the program has invested nearly $4 million in U-M faculty projects spanning renewable energy, carbon capture, transportation, agriculture, and data-driven climate solutions. Haverkamp also strengthened Graham’s Catalyst Grant faculty research program, which funded more than three dozen new collaborative, interdisciplinary, partner-engaged projects under her leadership.
She consistently championed student programs that provide applied sustainability leadership development: during her tenure, more than 400 students participated in the Graham Scholars, Dow Fellows, and Catalyst Leadership Circle Fellowship programs, while the Planet Blue Ambassador program grew from 4,000 participants in Ann Arbor to 12,000 participants across all three campuses, dramatically expanding peer-to-peer sustainability leadership.
She also expanded Graham’s reach through collaborations with the arts, most notably co-presenting Robin Frohardt’s acclaimed installation the Plastic Bag Store in 2023 with UMS, UMMA, and the U-M Arts Initiative. The project engaged thousands in reflecting on consumption and the legacy of single-use plastics.
“Jennifer’s remarkable ability to connect with others fostered a collaborative and supportive culture at the Graham Sustainability Institute. Her approachable leadership brought people together across all levels, ensuring open communication and teamwork that strengthened the institute’s mission and left a lasting, positive impact.”
In addition, U-M’s leaders have often turned to Haverkamp to play key roles in shaping U-M’s internal sustainability agenda. Soon after her arrival in 2018, she was tapped to co-chair the President’s Commission on Carbon Neutrality (PCCN) with Stephen Forrest, guiding an unprecedented two-year effort to chart pathways to carbon neutrality across all of U-M’s campuses. The PCCN’s recommendations comprehensively address energy sourcing, sequestration, facilities, mobility, and behavioral change, providing a scalable model for other institutions and continuing to shape U-M’s ambitious climate goals and priorities. She also helped craft the sustainability and climate sections of the Look to Michigan vision and capital campaign, and co-chaired with Jonathan Overpeck a committee of deans whose recommendations led directly to the creation of the Vice Provost for Sustainability and Climate Action, a position now held by Shalanda Baker.
Beyond campus, Haverkamp elevated U-M’s leadership in regional and national collaborations. She served on the planning committee that established the Midwest Climate Collaborative (MCC) and brought U-M on as a founding member institution. She also chaired the steering committee of the University Climate Change Coalition (UC3) of research universities, linking Michigan’s expertise with peers’ climate action efforts, and highlighted the university’s work at high-level policy forums, including the White House Forum on Campus and Community-Scale Climate Change Solutions.
“I’m so grateful for Jennifer’s exceptional leadership over the past seven years—she’s strengthened Graham as a vital resource on campus and in our communities, and helped position U-M as a leader nationally and globally. Thanks to her vision for sustainability leadership at the university, the work ahead will be that much more impactful.”
Before joining U-M, Haverkamp served as the U.S. Department of State’s Ambassador and Special Representative for Environment and Water Resources, leading international climate negotiations. Her long career in government and the nonprofit sector also included senior positions at Environmental Defense Fund, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and U.S. Department of Justice. She has taught law and policy at Cornell, Johns Hopkins, and George Washington University, and has served on numerous nonprofit boards and advisory councils, including the Global CO2 Initiative, the Verified Carbon Standard Association, and the American Bird Conservancy.
She earned her law degree from Yale, studied politics and philosophy as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, and majored in biology at The College of Wooster, later serving as a trustee and recipient of its Distinguished Alumni Award.
Drew Horning, Graham’s managing director, will serve as interim director following Haverkamp’s retirement.