Dear friends of Metcalf Institute,

I am pleased to announce that Fara Warner will be joining us as Metcalf Institute’s next executive director on November 20th, thanks to generous philanthropic support.

Fara has a diverse background in the journalism industry and a proven track record of driving impactful storytelling initiatives. Her journey, and her most recent position as director of climate for Solutions Journalism Network, testify to her commitment to journalistic innovation, environmental reporting and solutions-driven narratives. At SJN, she has helped spearhead a number of programs, notably the 2023 Climate Beacon Newsroom Initiative, which supports newsrooms in transforming their coverage of the global climate crisis from unsolvable and apocalyptic to actionable and engaging. 

Throughout her career, Fara has worked extensively with both for-profit and nonprofit organizations, including the Wall Street Journal, Aol Inc. and Fast Company Magazine. Notably, Fara helped lead an award-winning custom content studio at The Wall Street Journal as part of her role as Global Content Director. In all her roles, she has consistently pushed the boundaries of storytelling methods, a skillset well-suited to her role at Metcalf Institute. We look forward to seeing the many ways her dedication, expertise, and vision will inspire and drive the Institute’s mission in the years to come.

I thank the search committee and Dr. Sunshine Menezes for their support for this transition. Sunshine’s leadership has been instrumental in shaping the Institute’s success over the last 17 years, and we look forward to building upon this foundation under Fara‘s leadership.

Please join me in welcoming Fara to the Metcalf Institute community, and thank you for being a part of it.

Warm regards,

John Kirby, Ph.D.

Dean, College of the Environment and Life Sciences

University of Rhode Island