Sara Johns

Ph.D. Student of Agricultural and Resource Economics 

UC Berkeley | 1995-2024

Sara Johns was a brilliant graduate student and a beloved member of our ARE community. In October 2023, she was diagnosed with stage IV adrenocortical carcinoma. With the unwavering support of her family and friends, Sara bravely pursued every available treatment option. Her grace and strength left us in awe. Tragically, we lost her on September 20, 2024, at the age of 29. She was a bright light in every life she touched.

At ARE, we knew Sara as an accomplished academic. She excelled in every pursuit. In her younger years, she was a musician, a softball champion, and a formidable student at Howard High School in Maryland. At Northwestern University, she pursued a double major in environmental science and economics. There, Sara discovered her passion for energy and environmental economics, culminating with a 2017 senior thesis investigating how increasing levels of wind generation impacted the Texas electricity market.

In 2019, we welcomed Sara to UC Berkeley, where she was awarded the prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. Sara brought an inspiring combination of intellectual rigor, creativity, and warmth to her work. Her dissertation focused on the clean energy transition, specifically how the design of renewable energy tax credits influences wind energy investment decisions. At her diagnosis, Sara was developing a state-of-the-art dynamic model to explore how different tax credit structures could impact renewable energy investments. Her research was technically sophisticated and highly relevant to the push for more effective climate change policies.

Sara had an extraordinary gift for community building. She was a connector of people. Anytime there was an opportunity to volunteer in the department, be it hosting prospective students for admit-day or helping set up Coffee Hour, Sara was always the first to sign up. She taught and mentored a large number of undergraduate students, winning the prestigious 2023 Berkeley graduate teaching award for her dedication to her students in the Environmental Economics and Policy major at the Rausser College of Natural Resources.

Outside of graduate school, Sara was equally inspiring. Sara loved to travel and take on new adventures. She was an accomplished endurance runner, channeling the same graceful tenacity she showed in her research pursuits. She was a 3:40 marathoner, but she loved trail running the most. She thru-hiked all 220 miles of the John Muir Trail solo in 2019, a notoriously difficult high snow year. Sara was an excellent skier, loved the majestic Sierra Nevada mountains, and was learning to safely backcountry ski. When she was diagnosed with cancer, she was training for her first 50-mile ultramarathon. Sara found joy in the natural world and in sharing it with others. 

Amid all her roles as student, teacher, researcher, and athlete, Sara always placed family at the forefront. Her partner, Ren, quickly became a cherished member of the ARE student community. The pair frequently attended student happy hours, dinners, and other social events. Sara and Ren married in May 2024. The couple’s mutual devotion was unshakeable, even in the most difficult moments of Sara’s illness. She was unquestionably the favorite for five nieces and nephews and two young cousins who loved her dearly. Sara spoke often and fondly of her family and the foundation they provided her. Many in the ARE community witnessed that foundation firsthand, meeting Sara’s mother, Janet, brother, Cody, and uncle, Pete, throughout their many visits to the Bay Area.

Sara has left a lasting impression on our ARE community. As she faced illness, Sara brought her steady resilience, pushing forward with a strength that inspired everyone around her. We are heartbroken that her life and light have been cut short. To honor her memory, we are dedicating our Energy, Environment, and Resource Economics seminar in her name. Each year, as we gather to share ideas and engage in discussion, we will remember Sara and her intellectual curiosity, her warmth, and her relentless pursuit of knowledge. Her impact on all of us will continue to shape our community for years to come.

The Sara Johns Memorial Fund

Thanks to an anonymous donor's idea and gift, we ran a crowdfunding campaign in February 2026 to endow a fund honoring Sara to support ARE graduate students.  The campaign gathered over $65,000 thanks to the gifts of 94 generous donors (Sara's family, friends, colleagues, and professors). 

Even though this campaign has come to an end, Sara’s Fund will continue receiving donations via this site. In addition to monetary donations, there are many ways to give (such as DAF, stock, etc), find out more here.

W also share a simple way you may be able to magnify the impact of your gift at no additional cost to you. Many employers offer matching gift programs. To find out if your company participates, please click here. Enter your employer’s name in the search bar and press Enter. You will receive details about eligibility, deadlines, match amounts, and the appropriate contact within your organization.

ARE thanks all the donors for their generosity and for being part of this meaningful tribute.