David Anthoff is an environmental economist who studies climate change and environmental policy. He co-develops the integrated assessment model FUND that is used widely in academic research and in policy analysis.

Youjin Chung is Assistant Professor of Sustainability and Equity with a joint appointment in the Energy and Resources Group and the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management.

Dr. Jones is an Earth scientist who works at the interface of human and environmental systems. His research uses quantitative models and data analysis to understand climate change and human-Earth system interactions at decision-relevant scales. He also collaborates with social scientists and interacts closely with stakeholders to understand how science can effectively provide actionable insight […]

Daniel Kam­men is the Class of 1935 Dis­tin­guished Pro­fes­sor of Energy with appoint­ments in the Energy and Resources Group, The Gold­man School of Pub­lic Pol­icy, and the Depart­ment of Nuclear Engi­neer­ing at the Uni­ver­sity of Cal­i­for­nia, Berke­ley.

Dr. Koshland’s research is at the intersection of energy, air pollution and environmental (human) health emphasizing mechanistic approaches as well as a systems perspective. It is conducted at multiple scales, from mechanistic analyses of combustion products in flow reactors to control strategies in urban airsheds to studies of human health.

Lara Kueppers is an Associate Professor in the Energy and Resources Group, with a Faculty Scientist appointment at Berkeley Lab. She is an interdisciplinary environmental scientist, whose research focuses on ecological responses and feedbacks to climate change.

Exploring Linkages Between Development Finance and Conflict Over Hydropower in Guatemala’s Indigenous Highlands (MA ’20) Kelsey is interested in how global economic and climate policies influence national environmental governance and impact vulnerable communities, particularly in developing economies and conflict environments. At ERG she looks forward to exploring interdisciplinary approaches to developing energy policies and project […]

Operation, Cost, and Environmental Impact of Self-Driving Electric Taxi Fleets (MS ’18) Transportation has long been dominated by the personal gasoline-powered automobile, but breakthroughs in electric vehicles, shared mobility, and automation promise to disrupt the sector. Gordon’s research focuses on leveraging these disruptions to maximize both social and environmental sustainability, drawing on insights from a […]

Assessing Transitions in Overlying Rights to California’s Groundwater Basins (MA ’20) An interest in the human dimensions of climate change – in particular, in understanding the dynamics of power and agency in responses to climate change – has always been at the heart of Ella’s work. She graduated from McGill University with a B.A. Joint […]

Dennis has focused his career on technology and sustainability policy in emerging and developing economies. His research interests include technology and innovation policy and impacts to resource and rural development, technology transfer and the political economy of land use management. He has led programs with the Paris based International Energy Agency, as an official of the […]

Monitoring and Projecting the Impacts of Climate Change with Emerging Environmental Datasets and Machine Learning (PhD ’20) Ian works to provide decision-makers with quantitative, high-resolution projections of the socioeconomic impacts of climate change, focusing on damaging extreme events like tropical cyclones. His research blends dynamic modeling, large socio-environmental datasets, and emerging econometric and machine learning […]

Beyond Energy Access: Understanding the Household Dynamics of Modernizing Cooking in Rural Karnataka, India (MA ’18) Bodie uses interdisciplinary approaches to investigate land-based solutions to climate change. He currently studies how policy and innovative technology can enable carbon-beneficial forest management. This work bridges industrial ecology, forest economics, and forest ecology. His modeling work has focused […]

Integrating Fuel-Based End Uses Into a Clean Electric System: Quantifying the Trade Off Between Electrification and Electrically Synthesized Fuels (MS ’20) Jess Carney is interested in understanding how sustainable energy integration impacts power grids and electricity markets. She received her undergraduate degree at Johns Hopkins University in 2018, where she majored in Environmental Science and […]

Hydrogen’s Potential Role is California’s Zero Emissions Future (MA ’20) I have been focusing on building decarbonization policy, renewable hydrogen and and island electrification as part of my master’s degrees at ERG and the Goldman School of Public Policy. I joined ERG after two decades working as a journalist in the US, Latin America and […]

I’m Nabig Chaudhry. I’m an MS candidate at UC Berkeley, where I’m studying energy science, climate change, and environmental data science. Previously, I spent 3+ years working in data and operations for mission-driven tech companies and health tech startups in San Francisco and New York City. I grew up in Missouri and graduated from Harvard […]

My research focuses on the intersections between renewable energy, gender, and rural life in northern Tanzania. Informed by critical social theory and political economy and ecology of energy, my work pivots around the gendered dimensions of rural energy use in a region where more and more large-scale ‘energy grabs’ are throwing social relations in the […]

Yoshika has a B.S. and M.S. in Environmental Engineering from Stanford University. She combines methods from environmental engineering and public health to study safe water and sanitation, with a focus on South Asia. In particular, she is interested in implications for gender equity and improvements in maternal, neonatal, and child health. Her previous work has […]

Kate’s PhD research examines the role of climate change in exacerbating water stress and food insecurity in urbanized and highly irrigated basins in the Andes mountains. Her research builds upon work in Chile analyzing water security implications of glacier retreat as a Fulbright Fellow and the distributional impacts of rural-to-urban water transfers for her MSc […]

Drought in Central America: Past Patterns and Future Projections (MS ’19) Nick earned his BS in Hydrology along with a minor in Environmental Policy from UC Davis in 2013. Since graduating, he spent over three years working for the Stockholm Environment Institute based in their Davis, CA office participating in watershed modeling and management projects […]

Decentralized solar energy systems for electricity access: historical context and comparisons of reliability (MS ’18) Isa is a MS/PhD student in the Energy and Resources Group. She is interested in the impact of renewable energy on rural electrification, global development, and the domestic energy sector. Previously, Isa gained experience on both the technical and applied […]

Arctic Lake Emissions in a Warming World (MS ’20) Nancy Freitas grew up in Tucson, Arizona and received her B.S. in Environmental Science from the University of Arizona (UA). She worked in environmental conservation with Peace Corps Paraguay and then helped run the Bio/Diversity Project, a STEM outreach and education program, at the UA. At […]

Karina is focused on urban climate resilience, specifically studying how climate impacts will affect social infrastructure systems that protect vulnerable populations in cities. At ERG, she is interested in the valuation of climate impacts and the potential for policy financing mechanisms to account for impacts on social services. Prior to joining ERG, Karina worked on […]

Annelise’s research focus is the intersection of energy issues at the rural household level in East Africa. She is interested in how social infrastructure and outreach (e.g. training local workers) can help overcome barriers to adoption of technology. Annelise is also interested in the design and implementation of microgrids in remote areas. Prior to starting […]

Effects of Electricity Consumption and Rate Design on Solar Plus Storage-enabled Grid Defection (MS ’19) Will’s primary research interests involve assessing the opportunity for distributed energy resources to participate on the electric system while investigating their technical impact on the grid. Prior to joining ERG, he worked for the Brattle Group’s utilities group in Boston […]

Modeling Organic Waste Management for Soil Carbon Sequestration in California (MS ’19) Anaya is a PhD student in the Energy and Resources Group (ERG) at UC Berkeley. Prior to joining ERG, Anaya attended the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University where she earned a Master of Science in Agriculture, Food and […]

Hilary is interested in developing innovative conservation tools for the lands and waters in the Western United States using applied science, policy, and community engagement. She graduated Duke University in 2012 with a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and Policy. Over the past five years, she has worked for the Gunnison Public Lands Initiative on […]

My research interests lie at the intersection if climate change, conservation, and agriculture in the West. About 50% if future viable wildlife habitat in California will be in private, food-producing land; meanwhile, agricultural activity contributes up to one-third of our global greenhouse gas emissions. I’m excited by the “triple-threat” potential—for reducing atmospheric carbon, mitigating climate […]

Stephen is a PhD Candidate at UC Berkeley’s Energy & Resources Group and a Researcher at the Energy Institute at Haas. His work lies at the intersection of economics, public policy and data science. His research interests are centered on the energy sector and the environment, with a particular focus on electricity markets. His primary […]

Siting Renewable Energy in a Changing Climate: A Reimagining of BLM’s Solar Energy Zones (MS ’20) At ERG, Jessica is focusing on learning advanced methods to comprehensively evaluate the ecological, economic, and societal impacts of development pathways in and beyond the energy sector. She joins ERG from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, where she has […]

While Sean is particularly interested in food systems, urban agriculture and food sovereignty, he is also intent on collaborating across disciplines in order to inform and support increasingly equitable and resilient communities. Sean has held a number of professional roles since earning a BA in Music Composition from the University of Illinois in 2005. For […]

Eli is an Ecological Economist working on comprehensive welfare measurement, tracking, and optimization. His research investigates and contributes to filling the gap between market optimization/welfare and broader social welfare. Recent work includes: embarking on building a CGE model (in Julia) to test impacts of multiple externality taxes; combining Ecological Footprint (EF) and SDG Indicators data […]

The Cost of Reliability in Decentralized Solar Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa (MS ’18) Jonathan studies transitions in electric power systems and electricity markets, specifically microgrids and distributed energy resources, the role of new technologies in grid planning, and the effects of the physical structure of power systems on social equity. He is interested in both […]

Julia received her S.B. in Environmental Engineering from MIT, where she studied the fluid dynamics of disease transmission. Prior to coming to ERG, she worked for three years as a research analyst in Dr. Solomon Hsiang’s Global Policy Lab at the UC Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy. As part of the group’s quantitative sustainable […]

Sophie Major is an interdisciplinary PhD candidate, studying and researching across the disciplines of political theory, environmental politics, and Indigenous studies. Their dissertation examines the marginalization of Indigenous people and Indigenous knowledge in political theory discourses and asks if and how political theorists ought to engage with Indigenous political thought. Incorporating original ethnographic work with […]

Margaret is pursuing an MS/MPP with ERG and the Goldman Policy School. At Berkeley, she hopes to focus on demand flexibility (a key aspect of greening the power grid) and electric vehicles (the future of transportation), and ideally on how the two intersect. She is coming to Berkeley from Rocky Mountain Institute, where her interest […]

Priyanka is a first-year Masters of Science Student with the Energy and Resources Group. At ERG, she plans to identify and quantify the economic benefits of just transition policies and explore issues at the nexus of international economic development and climate action. Prior to coming to ERG, she worked with the New Climate Economy (NCE), […]

Sangcheol is interested in feedstock resources and materials loop modeling under the scenario of institutional regulation to support circular economy, Industrial ecology, green chemistry, and the design and implementation mechanisms of public policy and diffusion of technological innovation. She is also interested in firms’ sustainability decision making mechanisms to incorporate and influence environmental regulatory framework. […]

I am applying to the joint degree so that I can upgrade my pre-existing knowledge of climate policy and environmental economics through the MPP, while adding new knowledge of other  disciplines through the MS in Energy and Resources that bolster my effectiveness as an analyst for, advocate against, and advisor on climate change. I am […]

Climate Change Adaptation and Risk Assessment in California’s Electric Power Sector (MA ’18) Adam Orford is a Ph.D. candidate at U.C. Berkeley’s Energy & Resources Group (ERG). He is currently focused on understanding the early development of conservative anti-environmental politics in the United States, including especially with respect to legislative developments during the 1940s, 1950s, […]

Molly’s research is inspired by an evolving ethic of private land stewardship in Northern California. Her graduate work draws on rangeland hydrology, fire science, political ecology, behavioral science, and traditional ecological knowledge to investigate the socioecological systems that determine regional water security. Prior to ERG, Molly facilitated grassroots planning for a just climate transition in […]

Sasha earned her B.A. in Environmental Analysis with a minor in Spanish from Pomona College in 2014. After this she worked for 5 years for the City of San Francisco, first at the Department of the Environment and most recently at the San Francisco International Airport; she worked on outreach, education, program implementation and infrastructure […]

Surfacing Overlying Rights: Assessing Transitions in Overlying Rights to California’s Groundwater Basins (MS ’20) Jenny grew up in Fresno, California, and graduated from Stanford University with an interdisciplinary environmental science and policy degree in Earth Systems. She has supported community-led social justice movements through philanthropy, policy, organizing, and research, most recently at the grassroots nonprofit […]

Sobol Sensitivity Analysis for Integrated Assessment Models: Supporting Result Characterization (MS ’19) Lisa is interested in using computer science to explore issues related to the economic impacts of climate change, and to support research and policy-making in this area. She currently works on software development of the Mimi package to support the construction and use […]

The Impact of Data Access on Academic Research: Evidence from the Land Remote-sensing Commercialization Act of 1984 (MS ’18) Esther researches how climate change will impact the financial sector and how the private sector and regulatory agencies are responding to climate-related financial risks. She is interested in the assessment and valuation of these risks, as […]

Luke’s research emphasizes policy mechanisms to encourage innovative technological and management approaches to environmental challenges. Broadly, he is focused on using economics and data science to inform environmental law and policy. Currently, Luke is a Graduate Student Researcher with the Global Policy Lab where he is working with a large team to ensure that satellite […]

Development for the Stateless: the Displacement-Development Nexus and Implications for the Future (MS ’19) Samira is a PhD student in the Energy and Resources Group and researcher at the Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory. Her research focuses on development for stateless people and migrants, most recently on energy access and the development priorities of UN […]

At ERG, Michelle is interested in environmental and equity challenges within global food systems. In particular, her research focuses on how zero deforestation corporate supply chain commitments, regional policy, and climate finance (through jurisdictional REDD+) interact in tropical landscapes, and the resulting impact on deforestation and livelihoods. Prior to ERG, Michelle worked for two years […]

Evaluating the Role of Labor Unions in the Politics of Decarbonization: Insights from Political Economy and Socio-Technical Transition Studies (MA ’19) Jesse is a student in the concurrent Master’s degree program at ERG and the Goldman School of Public Policy. His research focuses on the political economy of energy transition. He graduated from Brown University […]

Julia studied economics and Spanish at UC Berkeley as an undergraduate, and realized her interest in energy and environmental issues while a research assistant at the UC Energy Institute. After consulting in the energy and finance sectors, she worked at Pacific Gas & Electric forecasting electric generation and its cost for customer rates. For the […]

Who Governs a Sustainable Neighborhood? Planning a Community-scale Retrofit in Oakland, California (MS ’18) Emma’s interests are at the intersection of climate change adaptation, environmental justice, and science and technology studies, with a focus on renewable energy technology adoption in under-resourced communities. She received her B.A. in Geography and B.S. in Environmental Sciences at UC […]

Valeri Vasquez is a PhD candidate in the Energy and Resources Group. She has a Designated Emphasis in Computational Data Science and Engineering, and is a Moore/Sloan Fellow at the Berkeley Institute for Data Science. Valeri conducts most of her work in the Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics under the School of Public Health. There, […]

The Role of Stakeholder Networks in Urban Water System Innovation (MS ’20) Tzipora’s is interested in water resources and the role of technology in promoting sustainability, especially in the developing world. Prior to ERG, she worked as a process engineer at Cambrian Innovation Inc, a clean-tech wastewater treatment startup based in the Boston area, where […]

Liyang’s research goal is to accelerate clean energy technology adoption for a sustainable and equitable energy future through an interdisciplinary approach. For the past several years, Liyang is a researcher at Berkeley Lab, where she plans to be part of as she pursues her studies at ERG. Previously, Liyang worked at Eversource and completed a […]

Lights Off in San Diego County: the Effect of Utility Deenergization Events on Household Electrification (MA ’20) Cody applies statistical and econometric models to the electricity sector and studies how we can consume electricity more efficiently. Going forward, Cody is interested in applying economic concepts to emissions markets in order to minimize damages to society […]

Edem received his B.S in Environmental Science and Technology, with a concentration in Ecological Technology Design and minor in Geographic Information Science (GIS) from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2019. Edem is interested in sustainable energy development and natural resource management, in particular, exploring solutions to renewable energy integration and energy access in […]

Anna spent most of her undergrad career studying and analyzing her campus’ ‘Zero Waste by 2020’ goal. She quickly fell in love with the field and plans to dedicate the rest of her career contributing to improving waste systems in the US. Anna holds a BS in Environmental Sciences and a BS in Environmental Economics […]

Mining Data on Reclaimed Coal Mines: a Machine Learning Approach to Assessing Habitat Suitability (MS ’18) Hilary received her B.A. in Government and Biological Sciences, with a concentration in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology in the latter, from Cornell University, where she graduated in 2015. At ERG, Hilary is interested in exploring the science-law nexus and […]

Peter’s research focus areas are information technology approaches to energy development, understanding markets for demand-side energy technology, and energy technology policy. Outside of academics, he contributes to the Lighting Global program, which supports the market for modern off-grid lighting in the developing world. Peter’s work for Lighting Global includes technical and engineering support, policy development, […]

Consumer Desire and the Environment: The Case of Light Trucks (98 MS)

Energy and Materials Implications of Passive Solar Heating Technologies (77 M.S.) Conservation vs. Energy Supply: An Economic and Environmental Comparison of Alternatives for Space Conditioning of New Residences (87 Ph. D.)

Regulation of Environmental Impacts of Hydroelectricity Production: The United States and Costa Rica (89 MS)

Designing and Adapting Appropriate Socio-Technical Systems for the Renewable Energy Transition (PhD ’18) Nkiruka has expertise in solar grid integration and climate policy in California, and in electricity access in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. She draws from engineering and urban planning disciplines to envision how the renewable energy transition could lead to equitable socio-technical […]

Fuel from the Savanna: The Social and Environmental Implications of the Charcoal Trade in Sub-Saharan Africa (’05 PhD)

Algorithms for, and Applications of, Global Terrain Analysis (PhD ’20) Richard applies computational and mathematical techniques to better understand the complex interface of society and the environment. His work includes developing (a) in silico models to exlore ecoevolutionary interactions over long time scales and (b) high-speed algorithms for understanding landscape use and evolution. A recipient […]

Expertise and Uncertainty in Environmental Regulation: An Analysis of California’s Smog Check Program (02 PhD)

Resource Endowments of the San Francisco Bay Region Prior to European Settlement: Baseline Data, Interpretation, and Observations Relevant to the Potential for Environmental Restoration (80 MA)

Economic Valuation of the Environmental Impacts of the Kayraktepe Dam/Hydroelectric Power Plant in Turkey: An Exercise Contingent Valuation and Benefit-Cost Analysis (’95 M.S.) Prospects for Local Community Participation in the Management of the Goksu Delta Protected Special Area in Turkey (’98 Ph.D.)

The Costs of Environmental Degradation (’78 M.S.) Emission Sources Contributing to Acid Precipitation in the Western United States (’86 Ph.D.)

Uncle in the Valley: State Capacity and Rural Restructuring in the Tennessee Valley (’94 M.A.) New South, New Nature: Regional Industrialization and Environmental Change in the Post-New Deal American South (’02 Ph.D.)

Renewable Energy Systems in Rural Eritrea – Concepts for Three Wind-Powered, Village-Scale, Clean Development Mechanism Projects (MA ’05) Building an International Administrative Law of Expertise: Law and Science in the International Regulation of Trade, Health and the Environment. (PhD ’13)  

Samuel Carrara holds a Bachelor Degree and a Master Degree in Mechanical Engineering (Major: Energy and Mechanical Plants) and a PhD in Energy and Environmental Technologies, all from the University of Bergamo, Italy. After working as an engineer in the gas turbine field, he is now a researcher at Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM), Milan, […]

Dr. Chafe works at the intersections of public health, air pollution, climate change, and energy use. She holds a PhD from the Energy and Resources Group (ERG), as well as an MPH from UC Berkeley. She has been a researcher/consultant for entities such as the World Health Organization, the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, […]

At times the problem of understanding phenomena is one of seeing. That is why Danielle explores new ways of demystifying complexity through visual representation. She seeks new techniques to illustrate often-forgotten, yet fundamental dependencies between human society and the natural world. One such technique is terrestrial laser scanning (also known as LIDAR), which she used to create a 3-D model of her ecological study site in the Sierra Nevada. This along with her seedling research seeks to inform the uncertain future of resource management.

A Discrete-event Simulator to Determine if Public Transit Buses Go Battery Electric Today (MA ’20) A native of Utah, Nick holds a BA in Environmental Studies from Westminster College in Salt Lake City. He has focused his career on real-time environmental monitoring, previous working at Oberlin College and Lucid on energy and resource monitoring. Prior […]

Michael Cohen puts the power and complexity of the grid into students' hands via a video game. We asked Michael about his innovative project and his unique experience at ERG. "In addition to developing the game itself, I am working with teachers at local high schools to develop curriculum around it and try it out with their students this year. I hope to not only create a solid educational product but also gain some insights into how technology can be used to support learning about complex systems in general."

Andrew does applied empirical research at the intersection of international development and the environment. His goals center on the provision of rigorous evidence to inform policies aimed at enabling sustainable human development in a carbon-constrained and warming world. His PhD work centers on a randomized-controlled trial on the impact and adoption of biochar – a […]

Lara is interested in the relationship between social inequalities and the environment, including how environmental and social stressors interact to impact health. Her work seeks to better understand the disproportionate burden of pollutants and climate change risk faced by low income communities of color in the U.S., and to develop tools to help policy-makers address […]

The Geopressured Geothermal Resource of the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast: A Technology Characterization and Environmental Assessment (’80 M.A.)

REDD Hot: How One Community Defends its Forest One Carbon Credit at a Time (MS ’14) Tanya was born and grew up in Bulgaria. She came to ERG after a career in Army medicine and an environmental science degree from University of London. For her masters project, she is interested in how environmental protection laws […]

Valuing Co-benefits of California’s Climate Policy: Industrial Facilities and Public Health (MA ’18) Alex Dolginow is a Master’s degree candidate interested in understanding appropriate design and conditions for ‘environmental markets,’ such as trading of carbon, water, and conserved land. He hopes to combine economic, policy, and technical approaches to analyze such markets in places like […]

Commoditizing Carbon: Social and Environmental Implications of Trading Carbon Emissions Entitlements (MA 94) The Agrarian Question and the Institutionalization of Groundwater Exchange in Gujarat, India (PhD 98)

Community-based Environmental Protection: Watershed Restoration in the Waimanalo Ahupua’a (’00 M.S.)

The Joint Effect of Uncertainty and Inequality on Global Climate Policy (PhD ’20) Frank grew up on the central New Jersey coast, completing a B.A. in Political Science with a concentration in Environmental Policy & Sustainability from the Richard Stockton College. He went on to earn an M.A. from Columbia University’s Climate and Society Program, […]

Transportation Energy Use in Bolivia: Environmental Implications, Policy Perspectives (MS ’96)

Is All Research Created Equal? Institutional Credibility and Technical Expertise in Environmental Policymaking at US EPA (02 PhD)

Julian’s interests lie in the relationships between water use and economic development, focusing on modeling and governance. Mr. Fulton’s previous research includes water use in the transportation sector, conservation strategies among California utilities, and European flood management policy. He recently completed a Fulbright Fellowship in the Netherlands and holds an M.S. in Civil and Environmental […]

The Distribution of Air Pollution, By Income and Race (’90 M.S.) Race, Class, and Outdoor Air Pollution: The Dynamics of Environmental Discrimination from 1970-1990 (’93 Ph.D.)

Shifting Environmental Trends: A Life-Cycle, Consumption-Based Approach to Environmental Indicators (’04 MA) Rule by Aesthetics: World-Class City Making in Delhi (’10 PhD)

Environmental Consequences of Hydroelectric Development: The Issue of Size (’80 M.S.) Regional Water Availability and Global Climatic Change: The Hydrological Consequences of Increases in Atmospheric CO2 and Other Trace Gases (’86 Ph.D.)

Urban Water’s Hydra: Stormwater’s Problematization in LA (MA ’14) Measuring Drinking Water Affordability and Sustainability (PhD ’20) At ERG, Jess (PhD 2019) co-developed metrics for water affordability in the state’s first human right to water tracking tool with CalEPA’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. Jess has also conducted research in ecological economics and sustainability […]

Life of Sugar: Developing Lifecycle Methods to Evaluate the Energy and Environmental Impacts of Sugarcane Biofuels (PhD ’11)

Investigating Innovation Practice: Cross-disciplinary Studies in International Development (PhD ’18) As a NSF, Chancellor’s, and InFEWS Fellow in the Energy and Resources Group (ERG), Pierce investigates frameworks, methodologies, and contexts for evaluating innovation for social change. By understanding how socially-minded organizations integrate, support, and channel innovation-incentivizing processes to generate value for end consumers, he characterizes […]

The Global Environment, A Curriculum for Secondary Schools (’90 M.S.) The Energetics of Advanced Integrated Wastewater Pond Systems (’98 Ph.D.)

A Critical Analysis of the Environmental Impact Assessment for Costa Rica’s Siquirres Hydroelectric Project (MS ’97) Can Household Consumers Save the Wild Fish? Lessons from a Sustainable Seafood Advisory (PhD ’10)

Policies for an Ecological Civilization: China, Carbon, and Economic Reform (PhD ’19) Cecilia is a PhD candidate at ERG. Her dissertation uses economic modeling and social science to critically analyze several of China’s flagship energy and climate policies. She is a research affiliate at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s China Energy Group, where she works […]

Cultivating Partnerships: Pest Control and The Use of Integrated Pest Management on Small Farms in San Joaquin County, California (MS ’97) Contact: ehansen@downstreamstrategies.com ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: What have you been working on recently that most excites you? Please describe your work. In 2018, I was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates, and my first […]

Decision Support for Multi-benefit Urban Water Infrastructure (PhD ’18) Sasha Harris-Lovett received a PhD from the Energy and Resources Group in 2018. Her dissertation research focused on urban water and wastewater management, decision analysis for socio-environmental problems, and collaborative environmental planning. She is dedicated to making science accessible to students, policy-makers, and community members. She […]

Science and the People: The Use of Technical Information about Air Pollution by Local Environmental Groups (’97 M.S.)

Renewable Energy Landscape of Indigenous Nations in the United States, Canada, and Australia (MS ’12) Lindsay is from Teec Nos Pos, Arizona located on the Navajo Nation. She’s interested in developing renewable energy projects for economic development that adheres to core philosophies by a Nation. Lindsay’s research work includes effective regional electricity planning in the […]

With 10+ years of international field experience, 5+ in water and sanitation, as well as project management and professional development in higher ed, I aim to create a better society and environment for all.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: ARNE JACOBSON Ph.D. 2004 Professor in the Department of Environmental Resources Engineering at Humboldt State University   From his post at Humboldt State University, Arne Jacobson passionately extends his PhD research addressing the real-world barriers to providing clean energy for poor people in developing countries.  In so doing, he plays a critical role […]

Ready-to-use? Bridging the Climate Science Usability Gap for Adaptation (PhD ’19) Kripa’s research interests are in the field of climate change adaptation and climate-resilient planning. Her PhD focuses on improving the ‘usability’ of climate science for adaptation decision-making, particularly for water resources management and agricultural planning. She uses qualitative and participatory research methods to understand […]

Trade and the Choice of Environmental Law (’03 MS) A Seasonal Perspective on Regional Air Quality in Central California (’08 PhD)

Josiah Johnston grew up in a rural part of the Ozark Mountains. He is great at construction and swinging a pick. Between college and grad school he lived in Baltimore for five years. When Josiah left for grad school, he was a tenured researcher in a genetics lab and had a seat on the board […]

Chris Jones is lead developer at the CoolClimate Network, an applied research consortium at UC Berkeley’s Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory that supports the development of comprehensive, socially integrated carbon footprint management tools and programs for individuals, schools, businesses and communities. His primary research interests intersect the fields of industrial ecology, environmental psychology, and climate […]

Environmental policy making; balancing short-term pressures with long-term needs; climate changes policies; economics; decision analysis; ecology.

Joe’s broad research interests include sustainable consumption and pro-environmental behavior change. His dissertation explores the linkages between psychological well-being and the environment, arguing that happiness and sustainability are synergistic concepts and that delving into how people use their time is a practical means of concurrently pursuing both goals. Joe’s own happiness has historically been pursued […]

Aquarian Transitions: Technological Change, Environmental Uncertainty, and Salmon Production on North America’s Pacific Coast (’00 Ph.D.)

Energy Systems Integration and Innovation for a Clean Energy Transition (PhD ’18) Noah is an MS/PhD student at ERG. After graduating with a BS in Environmental Science from UNC-Chapel Hill, Noah was a Fulbright Fellow at the Joint Graduate School for Energy and the Environment in Thailand researching technical and policy aspects of solar electricity […]

Reduce, Reuse, Regulate: Repurposing the Clean Air Act to Limit Power Plants’ Carbon Emissions (MS ’14) Alison will graduate in Spring 2014 with an ERG M.S. and a J.D. from Berkeley Law. She’s interested in using legal tools to instigate the clean energy revolution, including novel applications of existing law (especially the Clean Air Act […]

A Review of EPA’s Evaluation of the Environmental Impacts of New Source Performance Standards for Fossil Fuel Power Plants (’78 M.A.)

"23% fewer women than men are online in developing countries. If no concerted effort is taken, that internet gap is going to grow. When women see role models—people doing things—it enables them and empowers them to think, 'Well, I can do that as well.' And, accessing the internet and using technologies exposes them to an entirely new world," says ERG Alum, Dr. Renee (Kuriyan) Wittemyer. She is Intel's Director of Social Impact.

Modeling Adaption to Sea Level Rise Under Uncertainty (MS ’19) Catherine received a BA in Economics from Dartmouth College, with a minor in Environmental Studies. Prior to coming to ERG, she worked on issues related to U.S. energy policy and integrated assessment modeling at the Joint Global Change Research Institute. At ERG, she is interested […]

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: SHARAD LÉLÉ Ph.D. 1993 Senior Fellow, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (Bangalore) Sharad Lele never intended to become an academic. And even though his resume is chock-full of scholarly publications, he still believes that applying the interdisciplinary academic knowledge gained at ERG defines ERG’s crucial role. After all, he says, […]

Morgan’s research focuses on hydrology and water resources, the effects of land use and climate change on human health and the environment, human-environmental system dynamics, and environmental data science. Her background includes training in physical hydrology and eco-hydrology, environmental and earth system science, and applied statistics, including causal empirical methods and spatiotemporal data analysis and […]

Inside Out: the Power in Data-Centric Private Governance (PhD ’20) Inspired by ecological economics, Niklas is focused on global governance of production and consumption. At ERG, he is combining data analysis with case studies to examine the apparel industry’s attempt to improve environmental outcomes and to acquire political legitimacy. Niklas is a part of a […]

Jason is interested in optimization and control of distributed energy resources to support renewable energy integration into the electricity grid. He works at Lawrence Berkeley National lab researching wholesale electricity market integrated demand response and electric vehicles, particularly to provide fast reliability services. He graduated with from University of Michigan with an MS in Natural […]

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT This ERG alumni spotlight features one of the first ERG graduate students, David Marcus (MA’77), and is written by ERG alumna, Sarita Sarvate (MS’78). The piece is the first of a series of stories on the achievements and journeys of alumni, showcasing their life after ERG. Small is Beautiful by Sarita Sarvate (MS’78) One summer […]

Exposure to Motor Vehicle Emissions: An Intake Fraction Approach (02 MS) Inhalation of Vehicle Emissions in Urban Environments (05 PhD)

Peter Marsters is a Master’s candidate at ERG focusing on the environmental impacts of unconventional fossil fuel developments. He came to ERG from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado where he focused on water issues related to unconventional fossil fuel development. His previous experience includes several years at the Woodrow Wilson Center’s China […]

Sustainable Energy Scenarios for Rural Mexico: An Integrated Evaluation Framework for Cooking Stoves (’90 M.S.) Socioeconomic and Environmental Implications of Fuelwood Use Dynamics and Fuel Switching in Rural Mexico (’95 PhD)

Questioning Sustainability: Environmental and Social Aspects of Reforestation in Northwestern Costa Rica (’97 MA) Environmental Enforcement and the Rule of Law in Brazil (’04 PhD)

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reductions, System Flexibility Requirements, and Drivers of Storage Deployment in the Western North American Power System through 2050 (PhD ’14) Ana’s PhD research is in modeling electricity systems with high penetration levels of intermittent renewable energy to identify technological and policy alternatives for cost-effective emission reductions. While her work focuses on the […]

Measuring California’s Energy Service Affordability (MS ’19) Christian is fascinated by energy end-uses’ effect on communities’ economic and political well-being. While his formal scientific background is in biorenewable resources, his focus is on the sustainable development of holistic energy solutions based on socioeconomic, geographic, and natural resource characteristics for communities both domestic and developing abroad. […]

Environmental Justice? An Analysis of Air Pollution and Power Plants in California (’04 MA) Bordering on Water Management: Ground and Wastewater in the United States-Mexico Transboundary Santa Cruz Basin (’09 PhD)

Sunlight Through the Clouds: Economic and Environmental Effects of Centralized and Dispersed Photovoltaic Power Systems in Electric-Utility Applications (’83 Ph.D.)

Everyday Transformations of Food to Waste: What and Why Food is Discarded in U.S. Households (PhD ’19) From digging through trash to looking inside of people’s refrigerators, Laura researches household-level food waste in the United States with a focus on measurement and behavior. In addition to examining the questions of “what?” and “how much?,” her […]

Biomass as an Energy Resource: An Economic and Environmental Investigation (’82 PhD)

From Environmental Security to Peacemaking: A Case Study of the Nile River Basin (’10 MS)

Erica’s niche is fire, particularly in the ecologically sensitive region of French Polynesia. She has already been trained as a physicist, but her curiosity draws her to ecology. ERG has become a unique place for Erica to explore her aspirations in the biological sciences alongside those who have successfully trekked through similar transitions. Read in her own words how Erica has fine-tuned her fascinations while at ERG.

State, Industry, and the Environment in Vietnam: Obstacles and Opportunities for Industrial Development (’95 M.S.) Community-Driven Regulation: The Political Economy of Pollution in Vietnam (’99 Ph.D.)

Monkgogi (who goes by MK) was born and raised in Botswana and recently graduated cum laude with her BA from Scripps College in Environment, Economics, and Politics. Personally, MK has worked extensively with and for underrepresent students in higher education through numerous leadership roles, mentorships, and volunteering opportunities. Access to and visibility of underrepresented students […]

Education, Public Issues, and Everyday Relevance: Making the Links in the Development of a Middle School Life Science Curriculum (99 MA) Grounds for Action: Community and Science in Environmental Justice Controversy (05 PhD)

Environmental Pollution and Cancer in California: Evaluating the Significance of Risks under Proposition 65 (’88 M.S.)

Demand-side Knowledge for Sustainable Decarbonization in Resource Constrained Environments: Applied Research at the Intersection of Behavior, Data-mining, and Technology (PhD ’18) Links: Personal Website Life at ERG Blog Posts ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT Ph.D. 2017 During his time as an ERG Ph.D. candidate, Diego worked on developing information and communication solutions and ubiquitous data products for reducing […]

Responses to Environmental Injustice in the Siting of Hazardous Waste Facilities: Public Participation and Legal Strategies (’92 M.S.)

Autumn Petros-Good received her B.S. in Engineering from Harvey Mudd College in 2009, and her M.S. from ERG in 2011 and her PhD from ERG in 2015. She worked on characterizing the potential for energy storage to change the electricity landscape, and has previously worked with the Nature Conservancy on investigating the relationship between large-scale […]

Going Green Bites Back: The Intended and Unintended Consequences of the New Corporate Environmentalism (’98 M.A.)

Global Environment and Energy End Use in China (’93 MS)

An Evaluation of the Triple Bottom Line Business Case For Reshoring Manufacturing (MS ’14) Emily Quesada received her B.A. in Communication from the University of Pennsylvania in 2003. She subsequently served as Marketing and Graphic Design Manager at 3 Phases Energy, now known as 3Degrees. In that capacity, she helped businesses and utilities communicate their environmental […]

Microbial Communities in Confiers of Klamath National Forest (MS ’19) I’m a first years master’s student and received a B.S. & B.A. from UC Berkeley in Integrative Biology and Molecular Environmental Biology. Prior to coming to ERG, I worked on quantifying rates of nitrogen fixation by bacteria associated with conifer foliage in Western U.S. forests. […]

Environmental, Economic, and Social Trade-Offs of Hydropower Relicensing (MS ’16) Joseph is interested in the social, environmental, and economic trade-offs in energy development, and in particular the social conflicts arising around utility-scale wind farm siting and hydropower relicensing. His master’s research focuses on the relicensing of the Yuba River Development Project, a large hydropower project […]

Jess studies the impact of and adaptation to climate change on Latin America’s coasts. Currently, she travels on her 39-foot sailboat, Oleada, down the Pacific coast of Mexico and Central America, through the Panama Canal, and into the Caribbean to document local climate knowledge through GIS mapping and personal narratives. You can follow her journey […]

Disincentives for Energy Conservation in the Electric Energy Sector of Djibouti, East Africa (85 MS) Markets, States and Environmental Policy: The Political Economy of Charcoal in Senegal (’90 Ph.D.)

Shop ‘Till We Drop: A Historical and Policy Analysis of Goods Movement in the U.S. (MS ’11) Transportation Behavioral Data and Climate Change (PhD ’20) Laura studies the environmental impacts of transportation in the developed world. She focuses on new methods of data collection and analysis to better understand the various levers behind driving behavior, […]

Landing on the Sun! How to Make Residential PV Price-Competitive in the U.S. with Lessons Learned in Germany (MS/MPP ’12) Socio-Economic and Engineering Assessments of Renewable Energy cost Reduction Potential (PhD ’17) Joachim (Jo) Seel completed his Ph.D. at UC Berkeley’s Energy and Resources Group. His research focuses on electricity market design and on the integration […]

At ERG, I am exploring the barriers to renewable projects that are stalled or abandoned in emerging markets and potential solutions. By striving to answer that question, I hope to help move electricity sector development forward — especially in East Africa.

Decarbonizing Residential Space and Water Heating in California (PhD ’17) Imran Sheikh is interested in creating business-led solutions to environmental problems, with a particular focus on energy efficiency. His current research interests are around using smart meter and internet-connected thermostat data to better target energy efficiency investments. Prior to graduate school he was a consultant for […]

Rebekah Shirley believes that there is more than one path to a bright, energy secure future. Developing nations strive to connect more and more of their communities to energy. Many have emulated the fossil fuel intensive model of developed nations, but Rebekah believes that this is not necessarily the only way.

Understanding Urban Food Access (’05 MS) Governing Change: An Institutional Geography of Rural Land Use, Environmental Management, and Change in the North Coastal Basin of California (’10 PhD)

Alana Siegner received her B.A. from Tufts University in Environmental Science and International Relations, and served as an AmeriCorps National Teaching Fellow in Boston for two years after graduating from college. At ERG, she is a food systems and climate change education researcher, uniting her interests in education and environmental studies through sustainable food system […]

Wilderness, Race, and African Americans: An Environmental History from Slavery to Jim Crow (’05 MA)

International Environmental Agreements, With Three Examples (’78 MA)

Elif is interested in the economics of nuclear power, air pollution from electricity generation, and decarbonization of the transport sector. She holds a BS in Earth Systems from Stanford University and an MSc in Environmental Economics from the London School of Economics, where she studied as a Fulbright fellow. Links: LinkedIn Research: Society, environment and […]

Unocal Corporation’s SCRAP (South Coast Recycled Auto Project): An Experiment in Corporate Environmental Initiative (’91 MS)

Water Quality Monitoring for Effective Regulatory Enforcement: A Review of Options for the NPDES Program in the San Francisco Bay Region (’90 MA) Redefining Environmental Management Problems: The Shift in Dredging Management in San Francisco Bay 1967-1994 (’95 PhD)

Monica obtained her Masters in 2015 from the Energy and Resources Group. She is interested in electric vehicle adoption, alternative energy policy, and sustainable energy development. Her research involves modeling the dollar value of grid services provided by electric vehicles and electric vehicle charging equipment infrastructure markets. Monica works part-time at the California Public Utilities […]

Integrated Assessment of Environmental Impacts: A Regulatory Approach to the Problem (’79 MA) The Potential Effects of Acid Deposition on Aquatic Ecosystems of the Sierra Nevada, California (’83 PhD)

The Threats to Biological Diversity in California (’90 MS) Environmental Controls Over Methane Flux from Ecosystems and the Potential for Feedbacks with Climatic Change (’94 PhD) See Faculty Profile

The Geopressured Geothermal Resource of the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast; A Technology Characterization and Environmental Assessment (’80 M.S.)

Closing the Material Loop:  Investigating the Dynamics of, Motivations for, and Obstacles to Material Recycling through a Case Study on Product Recovery and Demanufacturing in the Computer Industry (’99 MS) Greening Under the Radar:  Mid-range Analysis of Environmental Practitioners as Agents in Corporate Change (’08 PhD)

M.S. 1986 – A Vehicular Power Plant Application of the Monolithic Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Ph.D. 1995 – Fan-Lizhi’s Big Bang: Science and Politics in Mao’s China ERG alumnus Jim Williams, now a professor at the University of San Francisco, is a global thought leader in the area of low-carbon energy systems. At USF his focus is on […]

Environmental Quality, Economic Growth, and Democracy: A Theoretical and Empirical Examination of the Linkages (’02 PhD)

Alternative Windpower Ownership Structures: Financing Terms and Project Costs (’96 MS) Public Goods and Private Interests: The Role of Voluntary Green Power Demand in Achieving Environmental Improvements (’02 PhD)

Maggie’s research focuses on reducing the environmental impacts of transportation by decreasing both the amount that people drive and the per-mile emissions of personal vehicles. Her work focuses on California’s ground-breaking laws to cut the greenhouse gas impacts of driving. Maggie holds an M.S. in Energy and Resources and a B.A. from Claremont McKenna College. […]

Land Use in Renewable Energy Planning (PhD ’18) Inspired by the possibility of ecologically-bounded growth, Grace is interested in water and land use impacts of energy technologies; water management that sustains agriculture, energy production, and biodiversity; and the role of policy analysis in decision-making. She is currently merging life cycle assessment, GIS, and optimization methods […]

Challenges and Opportunities for Corporate Fleet Transitions to Lower-Carbon Fuels (MS ’14) Svetlana is interested in the intersection of public policy and corporate social responsibility, as well as in the psychology of sustainable behavior. During the summer of 2013, she consulted for a large company’s sustainability department as a member of the Environmental Defense Fund […]