Winnie Lam, former Senior Director of Design Engineering at Nike, will address hundreds of master’s degree graduates during Johns Hopkins University’s 2026 Krieger School of Arts and Sciences Master’s Graduation Ceremony.
The 2026 KSAS Master’s Graduation Ceremony will take place on Monday, May 18 at 7 p.m. on Homewood Field at the JHU Homewood Campus in Baltimore, Maryland.
Lam, a graduate of Johns Hopkins’ MS in Energy Policy and Climate program, spent nearly four years overseeing the technology that digitizes the design of Nike’s shoes and apparel. Her team’s technology contributed to the reduction of Nike’s carbon emissions, by increasing the adoption of environmentally sustainable materials.
“Beyond her impressive résumé and obvious contributions in the environmental and sustainability spaces, we are privileged to have Winnie Lam share her hopeful message to our graduates, who aspire to follow her lead and become changemakers in their chosen professions,” said Doug Mao, interim dean for graduate and professional programs in the Krieger School. “Through her combination of innovative technology, business acumen, and an impassioned dedication to better the planet, Winnie’s success is a shining example of all that is possible with a Hopkins degree and a desire to make a difference.”
Prior to joining Nike, Lam spent 18 years at Google, making contributions in such roles as Head of Data Center Sustainability, Director of Energy, and Head of Technical Program Management. Her work significantly reduced Google’s water, chemicals, and diesel fuel consumption and increased its focus on renewable energy.
As an advocate for animals, Lam championed banning the sale of elephant ivory through Google. She has also been a leader in ending the online sale of endangered wildlife products by spearheading partnerships with 21 major tech companies from North America, Asia, and Europe – including Microsoft, Meta, eBay, and the nonprofit World Wildlife Fund – to create the Global Tech Industry Coalition. From 2014 to 2019, she led Google’s employee giving initiatives, raising more than $3 million in donations for WWF.
Lam serves on the Board of Directors at the University of Waterloo’s United College and led the College’s sustainability and energy audit to reduce carbon emissions. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the environmental journalism nonprofit Mongabay, an organization that ranks among the leading sources of environmental science and conservation news. She has been an Advisory Board member of GAF Energy, a solar energy startup company, and most recently assumed an advisory role in 2025 with Stanford University’s TomKat Center for Sustainable Energy.
Lam received her BS in Systems Design Engineering from the University of Waterloo in Canada and earned an Energy Innovation and Emerging Technologies certificate from Stanford University. She was the recipient of Waterloo’s Sir Sandford Fleming Medal for academic achievement and was honored with the University’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 2019 for her exemplary professional contribution, dedication to sustainability, and service to community.