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 implementation that are rights-based and community-driven. Kelsey spent the last 10 years advocating on related […]

I am pursuing the joint MS/P.h.D. through the Energy Resources Group because of the lab’s unique position at Berkeley that allows me to continue to pursue both engineering and international development. I hope to build upon my experience in East Africa and utilize the knowledge and diverse expertise of the Energy Resources Group and their […]

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 of both the DOE CSGF and the NSF GRFP fellowships, […]

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 variety of disciplines to understand how people might interact with these new […]

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 Honors in Environmental Studies and Economics in 2016, where she studied […]

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 […]

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 methods to quantify the complex interactions between society and a changing climate. Ian is a Berkeley Graduate […]

Anna is a PhD student at ERG and an MS student in Electrical Engineering. She studies how electricity systems are changing in the United States. She is interested in enabling high-penetration renewable energy while ensuring cost-effectiveness and preserving grid reliability, and in how renewables adoption can be increasingly technically, economically, and socially sustainable. Previously, Anna […]

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 that new technology can have in mitigating emissions. Bodie is also interested in the social aspects […]

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 minored in Applied Mathematics and Statistics. She has held internships at the Independent System Operator or New England (ISO-NE), studying environmental […]

Jack Chang is interested in researching new strategies for communicating sustainability policy and science, as well as for improving renewable energy development and environmental governance in developing countries. He has worked as a journalist for two decades in California, Washington, D.C., Latin America and China, for companies such as The Associated Press, McClatchy and The […]

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 to ERG, he lived in China, first as a Henry Luce Scholar in 2015 focused […]

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 […]

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 […]

Focusing on innovations in renewable energy infrastructure and the potential impacts of such technology in the energy markets, my main interest lies in mechanisms to enhance reliability of fully renewable energy systems through the hybridisation of renewable technologies. That is, the co-location of different renewable technologies to leverage the complementarity of the resources and optimize […]

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 […]

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 for river basins in California, Perú, and Ecuador. He then worked […]

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 the National Coffee Coordinator where he trained volunteers and their community […]

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 at ERG, she studied procedural fairness and participation in wind power planning […]

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, focusing on atmospheric science and international economic development. Upon graduation Frank worked on […]

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 sides of renewable energy. She researched innovative energy materials at Duke University and the National […]

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 […]

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 ERG Nancy’s research focuses on how carbon cycling in […]

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 […]

Jess came to ERG to advance research on the equitable distribution of clean water. Her dissertation develops an approach to measure and understand water affordability and social equity in California. She’s co-produced her dissertation work with the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment at the Cal EPA as part of the state’s first comprehensive Human […]

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 studying electricity markets and renewable energy. He holds a B.S. in chemical engineering and a […]

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 Environment and a Certificate in Water Systems. As an InFEWS and DS421 […]

Adam is interested in how climate change and biodiversity loss can be mitigated through agriculture, forestry, and conservation strategy. Prior to joining ERG, Adam worked with an early stage agriculture technology company called TerViva where he conducted research and business development to expand the adoption of novel, sustainable crops on marginal land. This work exposed […]

Zeke is an energy systems analyst and data scientist with a strong interest in climate science and policy. He is currently the VP of Energy Science at Essess, Inc, an energy efficiency startup that develops vehicle mounted thermal imaging systems, a research scientist at Berkeley Earth, and the senior climate analyst at Project Drawdown. He […]

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 […]

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 engineer from Pontificia Universidad Católica of Chile. She is an NSF GRFP fellow, Siebel Scholar in Energy, Rising Star […]

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 intermediaries, such as governments and web security companies, in determining who can see web content. Anushah’s […]

Through whatever I do, I want to help create a better society and a better environment. Though I’ve been involved in a variety of projects in the water and sanitation sector, I have recently published about my study on street-level bureaucracy of intermittent water supply in India (where I followed water valvemen around by foot and […]

Veronica Jacome is a PhD student in the Energy and Resources Group (ERG) and holds a BS in Engineering Physics from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. At ERG, Veronica focuses on the terms of access within electricity services – investigating how policy, supply and infrastructure shape access and how access shapes vulnerabilities. Veronica’s work draws […]

Stephen is an MS/PHD student at the Energy and Resources Group. He came to Berkeley after three years working for Ofgem, the UK’s energy regulator. Stephen is currently working on a project to create a dataset mapping global energy consumption at fine spatial scales. He is also interested in conducting research on wholesale electricity market […]

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 […]

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, […]

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 […]

I am interested in studying environmental economics and climate change, specifically how to quantify the connection between climate impacts and social equity. My ultimate goal is to explore how this type of environmental economic analysis might enable the financing of U.S. public policy that reduces social vulnerabilities to climate change. Conceptually, there is consensus in […]

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 led analysis projects to provide technical assistance to emerging economies as they transition to cleaner, advanced […]

Jess is interested in innovative power systems and their potential applications in development and humanitarian efforts. She also has a strong interest in ethics; specifically, in applying the post-colonialist perspective to inform ethical decisions relevant to the implementation of development projects. Prior to ERG Jess worked for several years as an energy engineer with AECOM’s […]

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 […]

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 in using statistical techniques to explore the impacts of climate […]

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 industrial contexts and unelectrified rural areas, and has done electrification work in Nicaragua, […]

My academic interests for ERG consist of developing integrative modeling methodologies for applying green infrastructure ecosystem services to local energy grids. I want to collaborate with professors in engineering, biology, ecology, and social science to establish metrics for quantifying the benefits of green infrastructure that relate urban heat island mitigation potential to public participation in […]

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 NSF NRT for data science, and has contributed to data-based […]

Sophie Major’s interests are found at the intersection of political philosophy and contemporary issues of social justice. She is currently researching the roles of narrative theory and emerging political psychology research for understanding international climate politics. Her MA thesis investigated the philosophical assumptions underlying the concept of “path dependency” in political studies. Prior to joining […]

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. […]

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 […]

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. […]

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 […]

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 […]

Adam’s research interests include national and international environmental governance and politics, environmental policy analysis and development, environmental public administration and management, and environmental philosophy. He is currently focused on understanding the development of anti-environmentalist counter-movements. Adam received his MPP from Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy in 2018. As an attorney prior to returning to […]

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 countries. More broadly, she is interested in exploring the intersection of urban planning and women’s health. Previously, […]

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 power plant electrician. After six years, he left the Navy to obtain […]

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 […]

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 organization Community Water Center. Previously, Jenny worked at the Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation and […]

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 of integrated assessment models, as well as uncertainty analysis and sensitivity analysis. […]

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, the effectiveness of policies to reduce driving, and the interaction of freight and driving-for-shopping. Laura has been a Berkeley Fellow and a Research Fellow of […]

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 well as the extent to which pre-competitive collaboration among firms can advance sustainability and climate-conscious efforts. Prior to beginning […]

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 agencies and NGOs in the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh. As a researcher at […]

At ERG, Michelle is interested in looking at environmental and equity issues within global food systems. She hopes to explore how social, environmental, and economic costs and benefits associated with agricultural production systems can be better integrated into decision-making among stakeholders within the food and agriculture industry, ultimately facilitating a transition to a more sustainable, […]

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 with a degree in Anthropology focused on Latin American Studies, and spent the next 7 years working as a labor and […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 Berkeley in 2011, and her undergraduate research focused on critical approaches to GIS technology […]

Valeri Vasquez is a PhD student with the Energy and Resources Group, a Moore/Sloan Fellow at the Berkeley Institute for Data Science, and a former research scholar in the Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory. Valeri’s research interests include the use of computational models to examine the environmental drivers and economic impacts of infectious diseases. She […]

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 she designed, developed, and deployed energy-positive wastewater treatment systems for the food […]

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 function and regional climate. Prior to joining ERG, Rachel lived and […]

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 and the environment. Prior to joining the ERG community, Cody was a Senior Research Analyst with The […]

Marshall’s interests lie in environmental governance and ecology, in particular, the relationships among regulatory structure, conflict, and ecosystem outcomes. Before ERG, Marshall was the content manager for a Taipei-based startup working on the demand side of the energy efficiency and renewable transition equation. At ERG, he hopes to build on his background as a writer […]

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 […]

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 the factors – political, economic, and social – that inform the translation of science into legislation. […]