Dr. Raha Hakimdavar is a hydrologist, science policy expert, and space science leader with a proven record of innovation across government, academia, and industry. She is currently a Research Professor at the Earth Commons and Senior Advisor to the Deans at Georgetown University in Qatar and the Earth Commons, leading strategy and programs focused on environmental security, climate action, and sustainability research and education. She has active research projects in Greece (water scarcity), the Middle East (water and food security), and Indonesia (flood risk and nature based solutions), with a special focus on small islands.
Previously, she was Director of Space Sciences at Ball Aerospace, where she advanced partnerships and scientific initiatives with NASA, NOAA, and international space agencies. Her public service includes leadership roles at the USDA Forest Service and as a Presidential Management Fellow at NASA Goddard. There, she helped shape UN Environment’s SDG 6 methodology and co-developed a U.S. government-wide water security framework, now used operationally by the U.S. Air Force. At the USDA, she pioneered a national science-based approach to watershed health assessments, directly informing federal policy and forest-level resilience investments. Dr. Hakimdavar has served as a technical consultant for UN Environment, the World Bank, and USAID on disaster risk reduction, water, and forestry projects for over a decade.
Dr. Hakimdavar is also the Founder and CEO of Zyon Space, which supports emerging space agencies and organizations in the Global South in leveraging Earth observation technologies for climate and environmental resilience.
Dr. Hakimdavar holds a B.S. in civil engineering from California State Polytechnic University, and a M.S. and Ph.D. in hydrology from Columbia University. She served as a Fulbright Fellow in Water Management in the Netherlands and was awarded the 2018 KLM Sustainability and Innovation award for her efforts.
Academic Appointment(s)
- Primary
- Assistant Research Professor of the Practice, Graduate - Earth Commons