Saleem Ali

Saleem H. Ali, born in New Bedford, Massachusetts in 1973, has established himself as a leading voice in environmental security and sustainable resource development. Currently serving as the Blue and Gold Distinguished Professor of Energy and the Environment at the University of Delaware, he holds joint appointments in Geography and the Joseph Biden School of Public Policy. After completing his B.S. in Chemistry from Tufts University (summa cum laude), M.E.S. in environmental law and policy from Yale University, and Ph.D. in Environmental Planning from MIT, he began his career at General Electric before transitioning to academia. His research spans environmental conflict resolution, sustainable resource development, and industrial sustainability, with particular focus on the mineral sector. As a member of the UN International Resource Panel and recently appointed to the UN Secretary General's Advisory Board of Eminent Persons on Zero Waste, he brings his expertise to global environmental policy. His remarkable career includes visiting over 160 countries as a National Geographic Explorer, recognition as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, and board positions with organizations like RESOLVE and Adventure Scientists. A trilingual scholar with citizenship in the USA, Pakistan, and Australia, he continues to shape global environmental discourse through his latest books, including "Soil to Foil: Aluminum and the Quest for Industrial Sustainability" (2023) and "Earthly Order: How Natural Laws Define Human Life" (2022), while directing the Minerals, Materials and Society Program at Delaware.