Paty Romero-Lankao is an "interdisciplinary sociologist", and a Scientist at NCAR currently leading the "Urban Futures" initiative there (http://www.ral.ucar.edu/csap/themes/urbanfutures.php). Cities are key players in the climate arena as emitters of GHG, vulnerability hotspots and crucibles of innovation, and her research explores the dynamics of urbanization that shape urban emissions, vulnerabilities and risk. She has also analyzed why and how urban populations and decision makers attempt to meet the challenges of reducing emissions while improving their resilience to floods, air pollution and other environmental impacts. Along with other scientists, she is designing urban interdisciplinary studies that inform and are informed by global interdisciplinary research. She has participated in global and local endeavors promoted by UNDP and UN-HABITAT. She was co-leading author to Working Group II of the Nobel prize-winning IPCC AR4 and is currently convening author of IPCC: AR5, North American chapter. She cares deeply about her family and friends, but she is also passionately engaged in finding options to move humankind toward a more sustainable and fair future.