Lucas is Microsoft’s first Chief Environmental Officer, leading the development and execution of the company’s sustainability strategy across its worldwide business. 

Currently, he is an Adjunct Professor at Yale University. He was recognized by Fortune magazine in its “40 Under 40” list. He is an Associate Editor in Chief for the Ecological Society of America’s EcoSphere journal, an honorary Fellow at the UN Environment Program World Conservation Monitoring Center, and serves on the boards of organizations dedicated to environmental sustainability around the world. In 2021, he was appointed to the Advisory Council and Board for the Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize, awarded by the US Fish and Wildlife Service to encourage technological innovations that advance its mission.

Previously, he was Microsoft’s Chief Environmental Scientist in Microsoft Research. As part of his work he founded Microsoft’s AI for Earth program, a $50 million cross-company effort dedicated to delivering technology-enabled solutions to global environmental challenges. Along with his Ph.D., he holds a B.S. in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Wisconsin and is a former Peace Corps volunteer to Malawi.