Climate Pathfinder: How Engineering Can Offer Solutions to Climate Resiliency

Karimah Preston in front of solar panels
Karimah Preston, a student in the Duke Climate & Sustainability Master of Engineering program, found that environmental problems facing her hometown of Chicago are also happening in other cities across the globe. At Duke, she is designing solutions for a brighter future.

Karimah Preston is close to attaining her second degree in engineering. But when she first matriculated to North Carolina A&T University, where she would graduate with a bachelor’s degree in biological and biosystems engineering, she wasn’t considering engineering.

“I’m a first-generation college student,” Preston said. “Growing up (in the south side of Chicago), we were exposed to a very limited number of careers, and engineering was not one of those.”

As a child, however, she was keenly aware of the environmental disparities between her neighborhood in Chicago and the more affluent parts of the city. While she loved being outside, she had to travel far from her home to enjoy Chicago’s green spaces. As she grew older, Preston wanted to figure out how all people — no matter where they happen to live — can benefit from the environment. It was her interest in finding solutions to the world’s biggest challenges that led her to engineering as an undergraduate.

And it was her desire to marry together her twin passions for engineering and environmentalism that led her to Duke. After working for two years as a solar design engineer, Preston enrolled in Duke’s master’s program in Climate and Sustainability Engineering to help her become a leader in the climate space.

One aspect of the Duke program that she appreciates is the its emphasis on commercialization, innovation and entrepreneurship.

“Sometimes, as scientists and engineers, we get caught up in the idea of research for research sake,” Preston said. “But I think Duke really takes that next step and says, ‘Okay, we want to shape your ideas and push you to be a leader in the world.’ I’ve really appreciated that about my time at Duke. I’ve been able to get this systems-level thinking through my policy classes and business classes.”

Preston says she has learned to appreciate how much work goes on behind the scenes of major sustainability projects. The program stresses all of the different aspects of these projects — from business and finance, to technology and policy.

“Engineers make the solutions — but how do those solutions go from our lab into people’s hands?” Preston said.

“I can leverage the skills that I learned at Duke to lead projects that will help communities adapt and mitigate to climate change. Duke is great at molding students and giving them exposure to different opportunities.”

From the Lab to People’s Hands

Sara Oliver, the director of the Climate & Sustainability Engineering master’s program, said about Preston: “Karimah exemplifies the next generation of engineering leadership — combining technical excellence, intellectual curiosity, and a deep commitment to collaboration and impact.”

Preston’s experiences at Duke have empowered her to expand her skill set and push the boundaries of her knowledge. Her group in her master’s cohort created a startup company called Connexus. The startup trains individuals who are looking for a career change to go into green jobs, filling gaps that are needed by employers to carry out large-scale engineering and energy solutions.

This summer, Preston was in New York City doing an Environmental Defense Fund Climate Corps Fellowship with the Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice. She helped work on climate resiliency design guidelines, a set of building standards to ensure the city’s assets are protected in extreme weather events.

“Everywhere around the world, there are pockets of people who are struggling, and they’re having these same issues related to the environment. I want to make an impact. That’s always been the biggest thing for me.”

Karimah Preston

She also attended the United Nations Framework for Climate Change Convention’s 29th Conference of Parties in Baku, Azerbaijan, in November 2024.

“That was a really great experience,” Preston said. “I was able to learn about climate policy at the international level.”

Changing the World

At Duke, Preston has had the opportunity to become a climate expert and an engineering leader, all in the name of making an impact.

“I really want to leave the world in a better place,” she said.

When she says the world, Preston means it in more ways than one. Not only is she committed to preserving the planet, but she also aspires to use her experience as an engineer and a climate expert to “help people on every continent.”

Preston learned that the environmental problems facing her hometown of Chicago are the same as other cities across the globe.

“Everywhere around the world, there are pockets of people who are struggling, and they’re having these same issues related to the environment,” Preston said. “I want to make an impact. That’s always been the biggest thing for me.”

For more stories about Climate Pathfinders, go to the series page.

Climate Pathfinder Series