Jessica Katz is a PhD candidate focused on ecological stewardship under deep uncertainty. Her dissertation combines methods from ecology, statistics, and the decision sciences to understand how the diverse forests of the Western U.S. will respond to restoration and fuel reduction treatments under a changing climate. While at ERG, she has also explored the intersection of biodiversity, climate change, and energy sector decarbonization via her Masters project, "Siting Renewable Energy in a Changing Climate: A Reimagining of BLM’s Solar Energy Zones." Prior to joining ERG, Jessica worked for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, where she led U.S. government-sponsored projects to provide technical assistance to emerging economies in decarbonizing and modernizing their electricity sectors. She holds BSE in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Arizona State University.
Research Group(s):
Kueppers Lab
Jones Lab
Awards:
Bonnie Reiss Leading on Climate Fellowship (2025)
CAL FIRE Forest Health Research Grant (2023)
Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor (2021)
Teaching Effectiveness Award (2021)
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