Thank you for your interest in working with the FUEL Lab. I work with Ph.D. students in the Department of Public Policy and the Curriculum for the Environment and Ecology (CEE) degree programs. I conduct research that uses applied economics, institutional analysis, theories of political economy, and other tools of quantitative environmental social science including geographic information systems (GIS), satellite remote sensing, demography, ecology, and environmental science. Most of my research has focused on the welfare and environmental implications of natural resource management, especially policies that involve governance or institutional reform. In recent years I have undertaken research focused on energy poverty and interventions to mitigate it. I do research primarily in sub-Saharan Africa. I have run research projects involving interdisciplinary data collection in collection in Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda and Zimbabwe. In addition to collecting quantitative socioeconomic data, some of my projects have included biophysical measurements, air quality monitoring, and land cover land use change analysis.

All of the information you’ll need to apply to the UNC Public Policy or CEE graduate programs is available online including details about course and other departmental requirements. Many students of the FUEL Lab are Predoctoral Trainees at the Carolina Population Center (CPC). All of the information that you’ll need to apply for that program is online.I suggest that you spend some time on the CPC website to learn about the research, training, and resources that are available at this world-renowned center. I also suggest you contact Jan Hendrickson-Smith (jhsmith@unc.edu), the CPC Training Program Coordinator, and set up a time for a phone conversation with her to discuss the training program and application process.

Please look at the CPC Predoctoral Requirements page, which describes the courses that are required beyond the Public Policy/CEE department requirements. The program involves courses in diverse fields such as demography, biostatistics, epidemiology, and sociology, offering a well-rounded education in what some call Population and Environment. The CPC predoctoral training program also involves a research practicum with me as your Preceptor. Some students get funding through the CPC training program and others get it elsewhere such as through teaching and research assistantships.

If you decide to apply to work with me, before you complete your application please send me the following items by email:

  • Your resume and let me know a bit about your background and what sort of environmental policy/institutional analysis/environmental issues you are interested in pursuing;
  • GRE scores including the percentiles in each of the three sections of the exam;
  • TOEFL scores if relevant;
  • Your grade point average(s) from your previous degree(s); and
  • A list of research skills that you have such as statistical analysis, GIS, remote sensing, and the statistical packages you use to implement them.