Maria Ivanova is a Professor of Public Policy and serves as the Director of the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs at Northeastern University. Additionally, she is the Co-Director of the Plastics Center at Northeastern.

 

Her academic journey in the United States began at Mount Holyoke College, followed by a deep dive into international relations and environmental policy at Yale University. There, she earned a joint master’s degree in International Relations and Environmental Management and later completed her Ph.D. Before starting at Northeastern University, Ivanova directed the Center for Governance and Sustainability and the Ph.D. program in Global Governance and Human Security at the John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston.

Through her academic contributions and policy roles, Maria has significantly influenced global environmental governance. Her work is particularly known for bridging theory and practice in global environmental governance. She has also authored influential works, including her most recent book, "The Untold Story of the World's Leading Environmental Institution: UNEP at Fifty," published by MIT Press in 2021. Her numerous roles on international advisory boards and committees, such as her four-year term on the Joint Scientific Committee of the World Climate Research Programme, underscore her standing as a leading voice in both academic discourse and practical policy initiatives on a global scale.