[4] At Clark he founded CENTED (the Centre for Technology, Environment, and Development), now part of the Marsh Institute, where he remained a Distinguished Scientist.
He worked in Africa with Clark colleagues, and also developed and directed a resource assessment centre at the University of Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania (from 1967–68).
Kates helped to establish the international Initiative for Science and Technology for Sustainability, was Executive Editor of Environment magazine for many years, and was a Senior Associate at Harvard University.
[5] He remained professionally active until his mid 80s and in 2008 (at age 79), was appointed the inaugural Presidential Professor of Sustainability Science at the University of Maine, Orono.
[6] Kates's research focused on long-term trends in environment, development, and population, and he is particularly known for his work on natural hazards mitigation, driven by a Quaker belief in relevance to human society.
To suggest that severe drought - or even the flooding of New Orleans - are "natural" underplays the ways that powerful political and economic interests make people more vulnerable.