Spencer Glendon
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(BA - Industrial Engineering)
Harvard University
(PhD - Economics)
- Businessman
- investor
- philanthropist
- historian
Spencer Glendon | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1969[1] Michigan, U.S. |
| Education | Northwestern University (BA - Industrial Engineering) Harvard University (PhD - Economics) |
| Occupations |
|
| Spouse | Lisa Tung[2][3] |
Spencer Glendon is an American businessman, economist and historian.
In 1991, Glendon graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in engineering. Glendon later graduated from Harvard University with a PhD in economics.[4] As a scholar, Glendon focused on the history of urbanization and industrialization, with a special focus on human capital theory.[5]
For 18 years, Glendon was employed as a macro analyst and director of investment at Wellington Management Company a major U.S. investment firm.[6]
Later in life, his focus shifted towards climate change and climate change mitigation.[7] Glendon has envisioned a public service to distribute climate science information, making it more accessible for scientists and the general public.[3][8][7] In 2020, Glendon founded Probable Futures, a non-profit climate literacy initiative.[9]
Glendon and his wife Lisa Tung are heavily involved in philanthropy.[10]
Glendon was born in 1969, and grew up near Detroit, Michigan.[1] As a suburban youth in the 1970s and 1980s, he witnessed the decline of nearby Detroit, which left a lasting impression on him.[11]
As a teenager, Glendon suffered from chronic ulcerative colitis, which at times constrained his ability to live a normal life. In adulthood, his condition became so severe that he needed a liver transplant.[12] Carl Long, a close personal friend, volunteered to donate half of his liver to Glendon, initially without Glendon's knowledge.[13][14] Despite the hardship, Glendon viewed his disease as a blessing and a learning opportunity.[12] He has expressed a deep admiration for Carl Long.[14]
Education
In 1987, Glendon arrived at Northwestern University, graduating in 1991 with a bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering.[3][15] He was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship.[16] Glendon later attended Harvard University, earning a PhD in 1999 under his supervisor, Edward Glaeser.[17][5] Glaeser and Glendon published a number of studies about American social phenomena, including religion and gun ownership.[18][19]
Climate change advocacy
Since the 2000s, Glendon has been involved in spreading awareness about climate change.[20] Glendon has envisioned a public service to distribute climate science information, making it more accessible for scientists and the general public.[3] In 2020, Glendon founded non-profit climate literacy initiative Probable Futures to help democratize climate science and build bridges between climate science and other disciplines.[21] In 2023, Glendon joined Harvard Business School as an Executive Fellow, where he teaches and collaborates with faculty members on research and education around climate risk.[22]