Lab Director Dr. Katie Dafforn named on the TIME100 Next List

Stone Living Lab Director Dr. Katie Dafforn has been named in the TIME100 Next 2026 list for her work to advance science-based solutions for coastal resilience. The annual list published by TIME celebrates emerging global leaders who are shaping the future through innovation, impact and public service.

The recognition acknowledges the innovative work being done through the Stone Living Lab, a partnership that brings together researchers and government agencies to develop and test nature-based approaches to coastal resilience. By combining rigorous science with practical implementation and sharing these findings, the Lab is generating evidence so that these approaches can be scaled regionally.

Katie leads the Lab in its research initiatives which have extended beyond Boston Harbor to coastal communities across Massachusetts. The Lab’s recently expanded Real-time Monitoring Network collects real-time data on flooding and ocean conditions throughout coastal Massachusetts. Community members can see flood levels, wind speeds, and more through our dashboards. The Stone Living Lab is also piloting two Living Seawalls sites in Boston to enhance habitat on vertical seawalls and bring biodiversity back to urban waterways.

Beyond research, the Lab works to make science and data accessible to the public through educational resources and programming. The Lab’s education team brings climate education and activities to community events year-round and provides professional development opportunities for educators through annual programs including the Summer Teacher Institute and Boston Harbor Environmental Education Workshop.

Katie was nominated for the honor by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, who wrote of Katie in the TIME awards feature: “Professor Katherine Dafforn gives us reason to hope, showing how we can protect vulnerable populations while restoring the health of our oceans.”

As coastal communities face increasing pressures from climate change, the Stone Living Lab continues to demonstrate how integrating science, partnerships and innovation can build resilience for future generations.