High Meadows Environmental Institute

What High Meadows Environmental Institute does

High Meadows Environmental Institute (HMEI) is a non-profit academic research institute operating within Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey, focused on environmental studies, climate science, and sustainability across 30 academic disciplines. The institute provides an integrated portfolio of educational programs — including the undergraduate Program in Environmental Studies, the HMEI-CESEn and HMEI-STEP graduate fellowship programs, the Princeton Energy and Climate Scholars (PECS) certificate, and the Summer Environmental Internship Program — alongside a public-events calendar anchored by the Bradford Seminars, the HMEI Faculty Seminar Series, and the Taplin Environmental Lecture. Discovery Day (14th annual in 2026, with 102 student presenters, 76 faculty mentors, and 20 departments) and the Summer of Learning Symposium serve as the institute's flagship student-research showcases. HMEI draws on 140+ Princeton faculty members spanning 30 disciplines, plus a core staff of 17, and runs the Integrated GroundWater Modeling Center, the Carbon Mitigation Initiative, and an extensive multi-year video archive of recorded lectures and seminars.

HMEI was preceded by the Princeton Environmental Institute (PEI) and traces a formal milestone to the 2007 establishment of the Currie C. and Thomas A. Barron Visiting Professorship in the Environment and the Humanities; Michael Celia served as Director from 2017 to 2021. The institute is housed in Briger Hall at 11 Ivy Lane on the Princeton campus, with communications managed centrally ([email protected]). It maintains an active presence across Facebook, X/Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube, and distributes a newsletter and annual publications including Environmental Internship Program booklets and Carbon Mitigation Initiative reports.

HMEI's business model is non-commercial: it does not charge tuition for its programs, fees for its seminars, or prices for its public lectures. Funding flows from Princeton University's academic budget, the High Meadows Foundation endowment that gives the institute its name, the Barron endowment supporting the visiting professorship, and external research grants. There are no equity investors, no funding rounds, no commercial customers, no patented products, and no partnerships outside the Princeton ecosystem. The institute's "output" is academic research, trained environmental graduates, and public-facing climate and environmental programming rather than revenue.

Name

High Meadows Environmental Institute

Legal name

High Meadows Environmental Institute

Website

https://environment.princeton.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

High Meadows Environmental Institute is a Princeton University non-profit academic institute that delivers interdisciplinary environmental research, undergraduate and graduate programs (HMEI-CESEn, HMEI-STEP, PECS), faculty seminars, and public lectures across 30 academic disciplines to Princeton students, faculty, and the broader public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Environmental Research

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Science & Sustainability Programs (Ecology, Climate, Conservation) (EDAMABAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

STEM Research & Inquiry Programs (Research Mentorship, Science Fair Prep) (EDAMABAC)

Keywords

• Environmental research institute
• Interdisciplinary environmental education
• Climate science research
• Sustainability academic programs
• Graduate environmental fellowships

Headquarters

HQ city

Princeton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

High Meadows Environmental Institute (HMEI) at Princeton University is a non-profit academic institute that delivers interdisciplinary environmental education, research support, and public engagement programming. It offers undergraduate and graduate academic programs in environmental studies, faculty research collaboration across 30 academic disciplines, fellowship and internship funding, and a public seminar and lecture series on climate science, biodiversity, and sustainability.

Product overview

High Meadows Environmental Institute (HMEI) at Princeton University operates as an academic institute rather than a commercial product company. It provides a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs and research opportunities including undergraduate and graduate degree support, the Environmental Internship Program, Discovery Day student research showcase, and the Summer of Learning Symposium. The institute organizes multiple event series including the HMEI Faculty Seminar Series, Bradford Seminar Series, and HMEI Taplin Environmental Lecture. Key programs include the HMEI-CESEn and HMEI-STEP graduate fellowships, the Princeton Energy and Climate Scholars (PECS) certificate program, and the Currie C. and Thomas A. Barron Visiting Professorship in the Environment and the Humanities. HMEI also maintains a Video Archive of past events and publishes annual reports documenting student research and internship outcomes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Environmental Studies Undergraduate Program An interdisciplinary undergraduate certificate program offering courses, internships, and research opportunities focused on environmental science, policy, and humanities, for Princeton University students.
• HMEI-CESEn Graduate Fellowship Program Climate and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Fellowship providing funding and research opportunities for Ph.D. candidates at Princeton.
• HMEI-STEP Program Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy graduate program offering interdisciplinary training at Princeton.
• Princeton Energy and Climate Scholars (PECS) Graduate certificate program focused on energy and climate research and scholarship at Princeton.
• Environmental Internship Program Summer internship placement program connecting Princeton undergraduates with environmental organizations for hands-on experience.
• Currie C. and Thomas A. Barron Visiting Professorship in the Environment and the Humanities Annual visiting professorship bringing accomplished scholars whose work bridges humanities disciplines and environmental studies to Princeton.
• Discovery Day Annual multidisciplinary poster show celebrating student research on environmental topics with 100+ student presenters from multiple departments.
• Bradford Seminar Series Public seminar series featuring external speakers presenting on climate policy, environmental science, and related topics.
• HMEI Faculty Seminar Series Regular seminar series featuring Princeton faculty presenting research on environmental topics across disciplines.
• HMEI Taplin Environmental Lecture Distinguished lecture series featuring prominent environmental scientists and leaders.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment: Stanford's interdisciplinary environmental research institute convening faculty across disciplines to address sustainability challenges. Directly comparable to HMEI in structure: a university-wide hub for environmental research, education, and policy translation.
• University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability: University of Michigan's interdisciplinary school offering graduate programs and research in environmental science, policy, and sustainability. Comparable to HMEI in hosting interdisciplinary environmental research, education, and public programming.
• Harvard University Center for the Environment (HUCE): Harvard's university-wide environmental hub supporting interdisciplinary research, fellowships, and public programming. Directly comparable to HMEI as an Ivy League counterpart that catalyzes cross-faculty environmental research and education.
• UCSB Bren School of Environmental Science & Management: UC Santa Barbara's professional school combining environmental science, policy, and management graduate programs. Comparable to HMEI in delivering interdisciplinary environmental graduate education and applied research.
• MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative: MIT's initiative mobilizing research and education around climate, sustainability, and environmental challenges. Comparable to HMEI as a top-tier university-based program fostering interdisciplinary environmental scholarship and student engagement.
• Yale School of the Environment: Yale's graduate school dedicated to environmental science, policy, and sustainability. Directly comparable to HMEI as an Ivy League university-based environmental institute offering graduate programs, research, and public engagement on climate and ecosystems.
• Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability: Cornell's university-wide sustainability center funding faculty research, fellowships, and student programs. Directly comparable to HMEI as an Ivy-equivalent interdisciplinary institute supporting cross-departmental environmental work.
• Duke Nicholas School of the Environment: Duke's professional school for environmental science, policy, and business. Directly comparable to HMEI in offering graduate programs, research centers, and public events focused on climate, ecosystems, and energy.
• Columbia Climate School: Columbia University's climate-focused school evolved from the Earth Institute, delivering graduate programs, research, and public engagement on climate and sustainability. Comparable to HMEI in mission and structure as a top-tier university environmental institute.

Emerging players

• Woodwell Climate Research Center: Independent climate research nonprofit focused on land-based climate solutions and environmental science. Comparable to HMEI as a research-driven organization working on climate science, ecosystems, and sustainability, though operating outside the university structure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PrincetonEnviro
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/PrincetonEnvInst
• Facebookfacebook.com/PrincetonEnviro
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/princetonenviro
• Instagraminstagram.com/princetonenviro

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about High Meadows Environmental Institute