Michael Oristaglio

Mike is the co-founder and inaugural director of the Energy Studies Multidisciplinary Academic Program at Yale and a research scientist and lecturer in the fields of energy geoscience and geophysical remote sensing. He also works as a manager for the Society of Exploration Geophysicists on projects designed to advance the science of applied seismology for public benefit. Before coming to Yale in 2009, he spent 25+ years as a scientist and research manager in the geophysical services industry with Schlumberger. 

From 2012 to 2016, Mike was executive director of Yale Climate & Energy Institute (YCEI), an initiative started in 2009 to bolster the University’s presence in STEM-based areas of climate and energy research. YCEI helped launch several new programs at Yale, including the Energy Sciences Institute, which focuses on renewable energy and carbon management; the Climate Change and Human Health Initiative at Yale School of Public Health; the Climate and History Initiative, a joint effort with the Whitney Humanities Center; and the Energy Studies program. After fulfilling its startup mission, YCEI closed on June 30, 2016.

Mike's current research interests include: geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide by mineral carbonation, which converts CO₂ into solid minerals; geophysical remote sensing for resource exploration and environmental monitoring; mathematics of seismic imaging and inversion; airborne geophysical remote sensing; technology and policy strategies for sustainable resource management.