2019 CELI FELLOWS - Washington, DC

Energy and Environment Fellow, Office of Senator Tina Smith

Abigail is a AAAS Congressional Science Fellow in the Office of Senator Tina Smith, where she works on energy and environment policy. Abigail received her Ph.D. in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at MIT, where she used hydrogels to mimic Nature’s ability to make strong, tough biominerals in hopes of advancing the sustainable production of industrially-relevant materials. In her free time, she enjoys photography and playing with her dog Luna.

Energy Program Specialist, D.C. Department of Energy & Environment

Andrew is an Energy Program Specialist for the D.C. Department of Energy & Environment and the Assistant Program Manager of the District’s Commercial Building Benchmarking Ordinance. In the past Andrew has worked as a data analyst for federal agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy. Andrew has also worked with a number of municipalities on their commercial building benchmarking and disclosure programs, including Cambridge MA, Philadelphia, PA, and Denver, CO. Andrew graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Analysis and Policy. Outside of work and CELI, Andrew enjoys hiking, playing tennis, and brewing his own beer and kombucha.

Clean Air Markets Policy Analyst, US Environmental Protection Agency

Andrew is a Clean Air Markets Policy Analyst for the US Environmental Protection Agency, where he works to enforce the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule and Acid Rain Program and leads the LGBTQ+ employee resource group. Outside of work, Andrew is a committed community activist and leader, serving on the Steering Committee of the Arlington Democrats, the Executive Board of the Arlington Young Democrats, the Board of Directors for the DC Pride Volleyball league, and as an Officer of Election for Arlington County. He is an alumnus of the University of Maryland School of Public Policy and St. Mary's College of Maryland.

Senior Financial Analyst, Exelon

Bryan is a Senior Financial Analyst at Exelon, where he supports the Pepco utilities in financial planning & analysis. Bryan worked as a nuclear operations engineer as a Navy contractor before shifting into finance by completing an MBA at UVA Darden School of Business. He enjoys hiking/outdoors, brewing specialty coffee at home, and exploring DC with his wife and 1-year old son.

Director of Energy and Environment, International Technology and Trade Associates, Inc.

Carl is the Director of Energy and Environment programs at ITTA, where he consults for and advises electric utilities and international energy companies interested in the U.S. Passionate about the outdoors, Carl can typically be found camping around Shenandoah, hiking in the GW&J national forests, or planning his next backpacking trip.

Legislative Aide, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin

Charlotte is a Legislative Aide for U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, covering energy and environmental issues. When not meeting with Wisconsinites and tracking bills, you can find her biking around the city, espousing the virtues of Wisconsin cheese, rock climbing, and baking bread. She is passionate about exploring the role agriculture and rural Americans will play in a clean energy transition.

Manager, Rocky Mountain Institute

Craig is a Manager for Rocky Mountain Institute where he splits his time working on America's Pledge, where he is developing strategies on how non-federal actors can accelerate climate action, and working to decarbonizing the Aviation industry. Two years ago Craig was working on Net Zero Buildings in the Colorado Rockies where he spent as much time hiking, skiing, and panning for gold as he could. Now he is adjusting to the exciting mixture of DC life, climate policy, clean energy innovation, and the exceptional diversity of change agents.

Senior Associate, Rocky Mountain Institute

Elizabeth is a Senior Associate at Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) where she is administering the Global Cooling Prize, an innovation challenge to identify, award, and scale a residential air conditioner that has five times less climate impact than today's standard units. Prior to RMI, Elizabeth spent more than three years working at a solar minigrid developer in Nairobi, Kenya. In her free time, Elizabeth enjoys exploring the mountains of Virginia and West Virginia, playing strategy board games, and rock climbing.

Senior Research Analyst, The Brattle Group

Emily is a Senior Research Analyst at the Brattle Group, where she uses her quantitative skills to support energy developers and electricity market designers. As part of her passion to combat climate change, Emily has spearheaded a company-wide sustainability program to measure and offset Brattle’s carbon footprint, as well as teach the firm’s employees about environmentally conscious actions. Emily loves watching football, rooting for the Michigan Wolverines on Saturdays and the Philadelphia Eagles on Sundays.

Clean Energy Policy Advisor, Third Way

Farah’s passion for combating climate change took root while serving as a Special Assistant to leadership at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy where she provided operations and management support to the Office of Nuclear Energy. Through her engagement with top scientists, engineers, and innovators, she quickly learned just how vital nuclear energy is to the fight against climate change. As a Policy Advisor for Third Way’s Clean Energy program, Farah now works to promote clean energy innovation and carbon-free technologies like advanced nuclear to help steer the nation toward a more sustainable future. Farah earned a Bachelor’s in Science in Psychology from the University of Maryland College Park (UMD) and acquired honorable citations from two programs within the UMD School of Public Policy: the UMD Scholars Public Leadership Program and the UMD Federal Semester Program.

Energy Program Specialist, DC Department of Energy & Environment

Jack is an Energy Program Specialist where he works on renewable energy and clean transportation policy implementation for Washington DC. He works more specifically on the Solar for All program and the DC Green Bank. In his free time, Jack is an avid NBA fan and enjoys watching his favorite team, The Chicago Bulls.

Power Africa Country Manager, Southern Africa US Trade and Development Agency

Jillian is a Power Africa Country Manager at the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) where she is responsible for developing and managing the agency's energy portfolio for the Southern Africa region. USTDA is an independent government agency that provides project preparation support for large scale infrastructure projects in emerging markets -- including grants for feasibility studies and technical assistance -- with the dual aim of promoting economic development in partner countries and US exports of goods and services.

When not reviewing budgets and terms of reference, Jillian can be found playing with her dog, brewing beer, biking in Alexandria, and buying books she probably won't get around to reading.

Energy Specialist Consultant, World Bank

John is an energy specialist consultant with the World Bank, where he works with the Africa Energy practice. He is currently working on projects include investments in gas-to-power, renewable and battery storage, and power system analysis. In his spare time, he's exploring mountains or rock creek or reading a good book.

Program Director, ClearPath

Justin Ong is a Program Director at ClearPath. He manages the ClearPath’s work on carbon capture and fossil energy, with a focus on policy levers to develop and demonstrate breakthrough clean technologies. Prior to joining ClearPath, Justin worked on energy policy and systems analysis at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the Nicholas Institute for Policy Solutions.

Program Associate, Northeast Energy Foundation

Katya Botwinick is the Northeast Program Associate for the Energy Foundation, where she helps develop campaign and policy strategies to promote the deployment of renewable energy across the Northeast. She also manages the grant-making process and budget, which awards between $5-6 million annually. Katya holds a B.A. in Sociology from Wesleyan University and an M.P.A. from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University.

Senior Manager Development, Smart Electric Power Alliance

Kevin joined SEPA as the Manager of Development in 2015 and focuses on creating value for both SEPA and member organizations. Prior to joining SEPA, he served as Senator Mark Udall’s Deputy National Finance Director on his 2014 campaign and as a Finance Assistant to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Kevin earned his Bachelor of Arts from American University. He is a proud native of Buffalo, NY and a devoted Buffalo Bills fan, thus proving his ability to be positive in the face of extreme hardship.

Foreign Affairs Energy Analyst, Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration

Kezia is currently a Foreign Affairs Energy Specialist at the Department of Energy's (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) where she supports Energy Attachés who focus on all energy sectors based on geographic location across 15 U.S. embassies around the world. Her job entails providing operational support through collecting and disseminating information to embassy attachés, political leadership, and to the Overseas Presence Advisory Board of DOE and by setting programmatic and strategic priorities for the Department for each embassy for fiscal years 2019-2021. Prior to working in NNSA, Kezia did program evaluation for over two years in the DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), where she started as a Presidential Management Fellow evaluating energy programs. Kezia graduated in 2015 with a Master’s of International Affairs from the University of California, San Diego, where she focused on international development and quantitative analysis. Kezia is originally from the Pacific Northwest, enjoys international travel, is adventurous with food, and loves everything outdoors – hiking, camping, and especially snowboarding!

Structured Finance Analyst, Sol Systems

Krisztina is a Structured Finance Analyst at Sol Systems. She is responsible for originating deals for both sponsor equity and tax equity investments, conducting initial due diligence on portfolios, and managing her teams’ relationships with developers across the US. Krisztina is a native of Hungary and a lover of the outdoors.

Vice President, Signal Group

Madeline works at Signal Group where she works on energy, environment, and sustainability issues for companies, non-profits, and municipalities.

Machine Learning Engineer, SoKat Consulting, LLC

Matt is a machine learning engineer at SoKat, where he supports the Dept. HHS in making data-driven decisions on how to allocate federal funds. Matt holds a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Princeton University and is eager to apply data science to advancing clean energy. A lifelong learner and dedicated teacher, Matt loves coding, storytelling, and playing the drums on his free time.

Student-Command & Staff College, United States Marine Corps

Matthew is currently a Major in the Marine Corps Reserve activated to attend the Marine Corps University's Command & Staff College. Matthew is an avid reader, long distance hiker, and motorcycle rider. He is a devote hockey player and fan, preferring the Chicago Blackhawks to all lesser teams, but is a geographically-motivated Washington Capitals fan. He was born in Ohio, raised in Maine and maintains firm allegiances to Buckeyes football and the Maine outdoors. Matthew is a Marine by profession, an engineer by education, and a learner always.

Associate, Tetra Tech

Mikael is an Associate for Tetra Tech's international energy services division in Arlington, VA. He conducts technical and financial analysis and provides project management support for various renewable energy initiatives in developing countries. Originally from Los Angeles, CA, Mikael enjoys exploring Washington DC's neighborhoods and plays the violin. He holds a Master of Science in Energy Science, Technology and Policy from Carnegie Mellon University.

Program Support Specialist, U.S. Department of Energy

Miles is a Program Support Specialist within the U.S. Department of Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office, specializing in stakeholder outreach and engagement for the Hydropower and Marine Energy Programs. Primary responsibilities include developing and managing content for a wide variety of WPTO stakeholders as well as redefining strategies for most effectively disseminating technical information for the hydropower and marine energy industries. Miles is an avid soccer enthusiast and grew up on a certified organic asian pear and exotic asian pepper farm in Sherwood, Oregon.

Senior Researcher, Food & Water Watch

Nikita is a senior researcher at Food & Water Watch, where she works on climate and energy issues and advocates for clean air and environmental justice. Her prior experiences include working as a consultant for the Natural Resources Defense Council and as a researcher for Beyond Pesticides on a wide range of environmental and public health issues. Nikita loves going to museums, reading, writing, and drawing in her free time.

Policy Analyst, National Governors Association

Patricio Portillo is a policy analyst with the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices Environment, Energy and Transportation Division. Prior to NGA, Patricio was a Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Fellow serving on the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Patricio holds a Master’s in International Affairs from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and a Bachelor of Business Administration in International Economics from Temple University.

NRC Postdoctoral Associate, US Naval Research Laboratory

Rachel is a National Research Council postdoctoral fellow at the US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), where she works on a range of battery challenges for the Department of Defense. Rachel's dissertation research focused on material and processing challenges for alkali-sulfur batteries which boast 6X the energy of Li-ion with lower cost and more environmentally friendly materials. Rachel continues to work on sulfur chemistries at NRL, while also focusing on safer and more effective uses of conventional Li-ion batteries for Defense applications. Rachel has published 43 peer reviewed articles and 3 patents. In efforts to support women in STEM, Rachel was a co-founder of the Partnership of Women across the Naval Research Enterprise and has had the opportunity to mentor many young female researches from the high school to graduate level. In her free time, Rachel enjoys exploring the ever changing and always exciting D.C. food and fitness scenes.

Public Utilities Engagement, Advanced Energy Economy

Rujeko (Rue) Muza is an experienced energy attorney who is pursuing a Masters of Law in Energy and Environmental Law at Georgetown University. She is also a Legal Extern at Advanced Energy Economy where she engages in clean energy advocacy before state public utility commissions. Rue originally hails from Canada and enjoys yoga, travel, and jamming on her ukulele during her spare time.

Sales Analytics Manager, WGL Energy

Samir is the manager of Sales Analytics for WGL Energy where he is instrumental in providing energy answers to customers regarding their retail and renewable energy needs. His team provides the intelligence and insights that allows WGL Energy to explore and implement new growth strategies. Samir is an avid runner and a wildlife enthusiast. He speaks three languages and loves to travel.

Program Coordinator, Environmental Defense Fund

Sarah is a Program Coordinator for the Environmental Defense Fund Climate Corps fellowship program where she leads corporate, government and nonprofit sustainability leadership programming for the Climate Corps network. Sarah also manages a portfolio of graduate student fellows implementing sustainability and clean energy projects with partner companies and public sector organizations. Outside of fellowship programs, you can find Sarah on the ski slopes.

ORISE Science and Technology Policy Fellow

U.S. Department of Energy

Analyst, Scaling Off-Grid Energy (SOGE) USAID

Taha Gaya is an Analyst with USAID's Scaling Off Grid Energy (SOGE) team focused on accelerating the growth of the commercial off-grid energy market in sub-Saharan Africa. He also advises EcoEnergy, an off grid solar startup with operations in Sindh, Pakistan.

Research Manager, Vote Solar

Tyler is a clean energy advocate, driven by the hope that our transition to cleaner energy will lead to a more just and equitable world. He supports Vote Solar’s work in the Southeast through technical and economic research. Tyler is based in DC, but he returns to North Carolina when he gets the chance for southern food and folk music

Fellow, Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E)

Victoria Chernow currently serves as a Fellow at the Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E) where she performs technical analyses to identify new program opportunities in energy relevant spaces, including biomanufacturing, agriculture, and advanced nuclear technologies. Victoria received her Ph.D. in Materials Science from Caltech. She tries to flex her creative muscles through painting and competitive ballroom dancing.

Andy Crawford is a senior Arctic/climate change analyst at the Central Intelligence Agency, where he analyzes the implications of a rapidly warming Arctic and supports US policymakers on climate change issues. He also champions sustainability initiatives as a volunteer member of the City of Falls Church, Virginia's Environmental Sustainability Council. Andy is a Harry S. Truman Scholar in Public Service with degrees from the University of Cambridge (England) and Wesleyan University.