About

Using Jatropha biofuel projects as case studies, I research the social impacts of biofuels in developing countries. Jatropha is widely promoted as a biofuel feedstock as it is non-edible and can grow on marginal lands with minimal water and nutrient inputs. However, access to such lands is often vital to the well-being of marginalized communities -- an occurrence that is not typically captured in project evaluation. Using an interdisciplinary approach of industrial ecology, economics and anthropology, I hope to develop methods for improving how social impacts of energy development projects are understood and incorporated into project design.

I am currently in the process of identifying Jatropha case studies and this summer (summer '08) I will travel to Madagascar, India and Brazil to explore ongoing projects in these regions.

Prior to FES, I earned a Master's in Public Policy from the Richard & Rhoda Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley and an undergraduate degree in economics from The George Washington University. Prior to returning to graduate school, I worked as an economic consultant in Washington, DC examining the impacts of electricity market deregulation in the US.