Congratulations to Dara O’Rourke, a professor in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management (ESPM), on receiving Rausser College’s 2026 Distinguished Teaching Award.
The Distinguished Teaching Award is Rausser College’s top faculty honor, recognizing instructors who excel in undergraduate instruction and significantly contribute to the College’s teaching mission. Nominees are chosen not only for their command of the subject, but also for their ability to inspire students’ independent and original thinking, enthusiasm and vitality in learning and teaching, and student advising efforts among criteria.
“I am truly honored to receive this recognition,” said O’Rourke, PhD ’99 Energy & Resources. “Teaching Berkeley students is one of the great privileges of my career. I learn more from them than they do from me every year.”
Since joining the UC Berkeley faculty in 2003, O’Rourke has cultivated what his nominator, ESPM Associate Professor Kathryn De Master, characterized as an “exceptionally strong long-term teaching record.” For years, this was anchored by his signature Environmental Justice course (cross-listed between ESPM and Sociology), a large undergraduate course known for its applied community-engagement components, where students worked with over 40 non-profits around the Bay Area.
More recently, he developed a course on Sustainable Industry (ESPM 136), which examines how industries can transition in response to climate change, biodiversity loss, and the environmental and social impacts of their production and consumption. First offered in 2021, the course presents histories of industrial transitions, methods to map supply chains and product lifecycles, and case studies on efforts to make companies or products more sustainable. The course not only aligns with O’Rourke’s research portfolio—which broadly focuses on the environmental, social, and health impacts of global supply chains—but also offers him the opportunity to bring in examples of his work advising corporations and non-governmental organizations on business sustainability.
“Dara is an outstanding instructor, exceptionally knowledgeable on the course topics and skilled at facilitating a discussion that 'teaches' a lot without lecturing,” one student shared in a teaching evaluation referenced in his nomination. “He is very approachable yet professional. I look forward to hearing his perspectives every week.”
Beyond the classroom, O’Rourke has mentored ESPM graduate students serving as his GSIs and has served as the department’s Vice Chair of Instruction, a role that De Master wrote demonstrates his commitment to the department’s curriculum and students.
Since 2024, O’Rourke has served as faculty director of the new Master of Climate Solutions (MCS) program, a professional program jointly hosted by Rausser College and the Haas School of Business. In addition to overseeing curriculum design and faculty recruitment, he teaches the program’s core Climate Solutions Pathways course, which introduces MCS students to climate change and to approaches to advance solutions through business, civil society, and government .
“We built the Master of Climate Solutions because climate change isn't really a scientific debate anymore—it's an implementation challenge,” said O’Rourke. “Our first cohort of students is graduating this weekend, and I’m inspired by their energy, brilliance and commitment to advancing solutions.”
O’Rourke will be honored onstage during the 2026 Rausser College Commencement, held Sunday, May 17, 2026, at 7 pm.
