Zachary Van Tol
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Mail code: 9508Campus: Scottsdale
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Zachary Van Tol is the ASU Charter Fellow at ASU EdPlus, where he translates the ASU Charter and institutional design principles into programs, projects, and everyday operational practice. He pairs strategic thinking with a talent for convening people, helping leadership turn priorities into action.
Before joining EdPlus, Zach held multiple roles in the Arizona Governor’s Office, analyzing legislation, convening stakeholders, and briefing senior staff on issues ranging from energy and economic development to health care. That experience taught him to ask what a decision will change in practice and who needs to be in the room to make it work.
Growing up in a military family, Zach has always been committed to service and feels a deep connection to institutions that seek to improve the lives of the communities they serve. That commitment has helped shape his path academically and professionally.
Zach holds a Ph.D. in Sustainability from Arizona State University. His dissertation, Unsheltering Truths: How Climate and Media Shape Homelessness in Phoenix, Arizona, examines how complex systems like climate, housing, and public narrative intersect. He also holds a M.S. and B.S. from Virginia Tech, where his studies focused on climate and society.
- Ph.D. Arizona State University
- M.S. Virginia Tech
- B.S. Virginia Tech
Oliver, R., Ramseyer, C., & Van Tol, Z. (2026). Urban Heat Hazards: Measurement, Management, and Communication. In L. Juran & B.K. Paul (Eds.), The Routledge Handbook of Disaster Mitigation and Preparedness. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003492993
Van Tol, Z., Ahbeck, B., & Ferguson, K. M. (2026). “That'll be the end of the encampment, but they'll still be here”: A thematic analysis of climate‐housing narratives. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, 26(1), e70053. https://doi.org/10.1111/asap.70053
King, P., Vanos, J., Van Tol, Z., Campillo, J., & Middel, A. (2026). Beyond surface cooling: Comprehensive field assessment of reflective pavement thermal performance in Phoenix, Arizona. Building and Environment, 114373. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2026.114373
Van Tol, Z., Middel, A., Vanos, J. K., & Ferguson, K. M. (2025). Overexposed and understudied: Environmental risks among older adults experiencing homelessness in Phoenix, Arizona. GeoHealth, 9(5), e2025GH001372. https://doi.org/10.1029/2025GH001372
Van Tol, Z., Vanos, J. K., Middel, A., & Ferguson, K. M. (2024). Concurrent Heat and Air Pollution Exposures among People Experiencing Homelessness. In Environmental Health Perspectives, 132(1), 015003. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP13402
Van Tol, Z., & Ellis, A. (2023). Analysis of urban Heat Island intensity through air mass persistence: A case study of four United States cities. Urban climate, 47, 101345. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.uclim.2022.101345
Ramseyer, C. A., Stanfield, T. J., Van Tol, Z., Gingrich, T., Henry, P., Forister, P., ... & Sauda, S. S. (2022). Identifying Eastern US atmospheric river types and evaluating historical trends. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 127(17), e2021JD036198. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JD036198