Paul Bunje is a Senior Director, Prize Development, Ocean Health at the X PRIZE Foundation Dr. Bunje comes to the X PRIZE Foundation with more than 12 years of experience in science, policy, education, and environmental leadership. Dr. Bunje brings his unique ability to bridge the gap between science and society to the Wendy Schmidt Ocean Health X PRIZE to help lead the identification of solutions to the challenges facing our world’s oceans.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Dr. Bunje served as the founding Executive Director of the UCLA Center for Climate Change Solutions and as the Managing Director of the Los Angeles Regional Collaborative for Climate Action and Sustainability. In these roles, he facilitated innovative research and communication between scientists, decision makers, and the public and led the creation of regional climate change programs for the 10 million people of Los Angeles County.

Dr. Bunje has served as an AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and as an educator at science museums in California and Minnesota. Dr. Bunje’s service includes the City of Los Angeles’ Green Retrofit Advisory Council, a fellow of the Center for Tropical Research, board member of Climate Resolve and the Los Angeles Sustainability Collaborative, and as an advisor to USAID, Clean Tech LA, and the Asia Society. Dr. Bunje has lived and conducted scientific research in Europe, the Middle East, and the Pacific—providing first-hand insight into the diverse challenges we face in protecting critical habitats and communities.

Dr. Bunje is trained in biology, with a B.S. from the University of Southern California and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. He is an Associate Researcher at the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability and continues to serve in a number of leadership roles in environment, energy, and sustainability.

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