ERG’s sixty plus graduate students are geographically and ethnically diverse. About half are in the masters-degree program and half in the PhD program. The students come from a wide variety of disciplinary backgrounds in engineering, natural sciences, social sciences, and the humanities; the characteristics they have in common are an ability to cross disciplinary boundaries, an interest in the complex problems at the interface of technology and society, and the intellectual credentials to succeed in a rigorous academic program. Graduates of the program are employed across the United States and around the world in governmental and international agencies, legislative staff positions, national laboratories, public and private utilities, other energy and resource companies, consulting firms, public-interest organizations, and universities.
My interests range from the integration of renewables into existing grids,the possibility of indigenes (especially women) in rural communities producing their own power or at least understanding its workings and the interaction between science and policy making in developing countries. I would love to study in the Renewable & Appropriate Energy Laboratory (RAEL) or the […]
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 […]
Anna Brockway is a graduate student in the Energy and Resources Group and Electrical Engineering at UC Berkeley. Anna studies how electric power systems are changing—and how they must change—in response to existing and emerging stressors. Her work has focused on stressors to conventional power system operation including climate change, renewable energy, electrification, and public […]
Beyond Energy Access: Understanding the Household Dynamics of Modernizing Cooking in Rural Karnataka, India (MA ’18) Bodie uses interdisciplinary approaches to understand land-based solutions to climate change and how innovative technology can enable beneficial land management. At present, he is working on understanding forest carbon outcomes, both in California and East Africa, and the impacts […]
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 […]
Cristina is a Spanish Fulbright scholar, MS student at ERG and Graduate Student Research Affiliate at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). Through her graduate coursework, she focuses on facilitating renewable energy integration in the electricity markets through inclusive, innovative and citizen-centric solutions. As an Affiliate at LBNL, she is working on market valuation and […]
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 […]
John’s research is primarily concerned with macro-energy systems analysis. He is interested in the life cycle characteristics of renewable energy systems, with a current focus on the carbon drawdown potential of BECCS and other product pathways in the bioeconomy. He is also interested in the qualitative changes implied by future energy pathways by way of […]
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 […]
Payment for Watershed Ecosystem Services: Effectiveness, Efficiency, and Equity (MS ’20) Micah Elias earned his B.S. in International Agricultural Development from UC Davis in 2012. After graduating he worked with international development organizations and non-profits working to connect small farmers to markets and technical resources. Later, he served in Peace Corps Panama and worked as […]
Characterizing Fairness, Transparency, and Openness in US Wind Project Planning (MS ’19) Salma is interested in the distributional impacts of electrification and of decision-making surrounding energy infrastructure planning. Currently, she is interested in understanding the access and affordability impacts of residential electrification policies and measures across different geographies, demographics, and housing and infrastructure characteristics. Previously […]
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 […]
Taryn Fransen is a PhD student with the Energy and Resources Group and a Senior Fellow at the World Resources Institute. Her research interests center on the design and implementation of deep decarbonization strategies. Taryn came to Berkeley from a career in climate policy, during which she served most recently as an advisor to the […]
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 […]
Roosevelt Elk in the Klamath Mountains: Integrating Track and Sign, Spatial Ecology, and Visual Communication (MS ’18) Adam’s research focuses on improving the way Earth System Models (ESMs) represent ecological processes, particularly forest regeneration. He is currently funded by NASA to use satellite observations to study post-fire forest regeneration and use insights to improve the […]
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 […]
Learning and Control Systems for the Integration of Renewable Energy into Grids of the Future (PhD ’20) Patricia is a Ph.D. candidate at UC Berkeley co-advised by Daniel Kammen and Claire Tomlin. She obtained an M.S. from the Energy and Resources Group, UC Berkeley (2016). She graduated with highest honors as an Industrial and Electrical […]
The Value of Connectivity: A Case Study of Cellular Networks in the Rural Philippines (MA ’18) Anushah studies internet accessibility and security. Her interest in these topics grew from experiencing difficulties accessing critical online services while working on development projects abroad. She has since been investigating disparities in website availability worldwide and the role of […]
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 […]
Oliver is a concurrent ERG/MPP student at UC Berkeley. His research and policy interests lie at the intersection of climate change, conservation, and natural resource management in California and the American West. Prior to joining ERG, he was a graduate fellow at the Strategic Growth Council in the Governor’s Office of California. A lifelong student […]
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 […]
I intend to research the intersection of renewable energy technology, education, and specifically prison education programs focused on STEM. Ultimately, my goal is to work with formally incarcerated citizens as they prepare for re-entry into society. I aspire to work with renewable energy projects in Africa to fulfill my goal as developing into a World […]
Seigi is really, really into drinking water access. He is particularly passionate about mulling over why and how drinking water disparities have emerged in California (hint: systemic racism and classism). He hopes these interests and beliefs will translate well into academic publications. The majority of his free time is spent climbing in Yosemite, throwing pottery, […]
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 […]
Jess Kersey is a second-year master’s student with the University of California Berkeley’s Energy and Resources Group. She is broadly interested in decentralized and innovative energy technologies for energy access and climate resilience in developing cities. She has a particular geographic interest in the Caribbean and Latin America. Jess is also a research affiliate of […]
Jose Daniel was born in San José Costa Rica, received his B.Sc. and Licentiate in Electrical Engineering from the University of Costa Rica in 2009 and 2012 respectively, his M.Sc. degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Waterloo, Canada in 2014, and his M.S. in Energy and Resources from the University of […]
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 […]
Arthur is interested in using sustainable innovation as a framework for designing new businesses, services, and products that help tackle climate change. He is particularly interested in promoting sustainability through energy and resource efficiency, solar power deployment, and sustainable mobility, as well as bringing clean water, sanitation, and electricity to the rural and urban poor. […]
Joyceline is a Tanzanian who holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Rochester. Her research interest lies in energy decentralization, diversification, economics and policy making to empower women and improve the standard of living in East Africa. She currently works at the Renewable & Appropriate Energy Laboratory on Off grid systems […]
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 […]
Sam Miles is a Ph.D. student in the Energy and Resources Group, and in the Renewable and Appropriate Energy Lab at the University of California, Berkeley. His research focus is at the intersection of the scalability challenge for electricity mini-grids and the socio-economic characteristics of urbanization in Africa, particularly for the artisans and entrepreneurs who […]
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. […]
Jill is interested in studying market outcomes, reliability concerns, and community planning objectives as they relate to electric grid decarbonization. Specifically, she’s interested in understanding how valuing community-level costs and benefits of zero-carbon energy options in investment models could better inform potential solutions. Prior to joining ERG, Jill worked for the Brattle Group’s energy practice, […]
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 […]
After earning her B.A. in Chemical Physics from Wellesley College, Hikari began her professional career doing economic consulting for Bates White in Washington D.C. While her interest in data and analytics never subsided, Hikari’s passion for socially-focused, impact-driven work led her to join NASA DEVELOP. She worked on land cover and water remote sensing to […]
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 […]
Evaluation of Social Networks and Measures of Empowerment Among Adolescent Girls in Uttar Pradesh, India (MS ’19) Gauthami’s research interests focus on how social networks influence health behaviors and decisions around access and use of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructures and its implications on the health and dignity of women and children in developing […]
Managed Workplace Charging of Electric Vehicles as a Grid Asset (MS ’18) Phillippe is an MS student at ERG. His research interests are in the integration of distributed energy resources and the decarbonization of the electricity sector. In 2005, Phillippe enlisted in the US Navy where he worked on an aircraft carrier as a nuclear […]
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 […]
Reem is a concurrent MPP/ERG student at UC Berkeley. She is broadly interested in leveraging energy policy toward the decarbonization of transportation and transit systems in urban settings. Previously, Reem consulted on energy and climate policy at National Journal, in Washington, DC. She is a native of New Jersey, and is in constant search of […]
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 […]
Tropical Forests and the Allocation of Carbon to Reproduction (MS ’20) Rachel is interested in the social, ecological, and geophysical dynamics of agro-forestry coffee and cacao systems in the tropics. Her aim is to couple participatory research of agro-forestry management choices with mathematical modeling and statistical analysis to understand how changes in management influence ecosystem […]
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 […]
An Examination of an Enhanced Remote Sensing Method for Detecting Agents of Forest Disturbance (MS ’20) Marshall’s research looks into the connections between forest dynamics and water. He uses remote sensing data and open-source modeling tools to explore how disturbances affect forest structure and forest hydrology. He is also broadly interested in climate, conflict, and […]
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 […]