EPIC is pleased to welcome a new class of fellows to the James Bartlett Fellowship Program in Energy and Environmental Policy and the DRW Graduate Fellowship in Economics and Policy this summer. The ten students, hailing from the Harris School of Public Policy and UChicago PhD programs, will work closely with faculty conducting climate and energy research spanning the fields of chemistry, sustainable development, conservation, policy and economics. During ten weeks of full-time research work, fellows will gain hands-on knowledge of the research process and develop skills in data analysis, coding, and more.
Learn more about our fellows below.
Júlia Mansur Cardoso
DRW Fellow; Mentor: Erin Kelley, Assistant Professor, Harris School of Public Policy
Júlia Mansur is an incoming second year MA in Public Policy with Certificate in Research Methods (MACRM) candidate at the Harris School of Public Policy. Her main interests involve economic development, as well as poverty and inequality reduction. Currently, she is working with Professor Eduardo Montero to measure the effects of colonization factors in Latin America. As a DRW Fellow, she will conduct research under Professor Erin Kelley.
“Under Professor Erin Kelley, I will not only gain practical knowledge on how to manage randomized control trial (RCT) projects but also refine my data analysis skills in an applied setting. Moreover, the fellowship will allow me to be in contact with researchers who embody the goal of a sustainable and equal future. More specifically, I will get to build a relationship with Professor Kelley, whose topic of research, writing style, and causal inference techniques I admire.”
Kezhi Chen
DRW Fellow; Mentor: Guangbin Dong, Professor, Chemistry
Kezhi Chen is a Ph.D. student in Chemistry, working in Professor Guangbin Dong’s laboratory. His research focuses on transition metal catalysis and the development of sustainable synthetic methods for monomer synthesis. Currently, he is exploring dehydrogenation-functionalization strategies to convert fatty acid derivatives and acetals derived from waste cooking oils into valuable monomers. His work aims to enhance the efficiency and selectivity of catalytic transformations relevant to sustainable chemistry.
“Through this fellowship, I hope to dedicate time to a deeper study of my project, catalytic dehydrogenation strategies for converting fatty acid derivatives into useful monomers. This research period will allow me to further optimize the methodology, providing a strong foundation for a future publication or grant application.”
Lukman Edwindra Syafwardi
Bartlett Fellow; Mentor: Shaoda Wang, Assistant Professor, Harris School of Public Policy
Lukman is a Master of Public Policy student at the Harris School of Public Policy. He has worked across various sectors, including research and policy in the area of development economics and education. This summer, he will work with Professor Shaoda Wang to quantify the overall economic costs of China’s “War Against Pollution” by leveraging his coding and quantitative skills. Lukman is a first-generation college student from Jakarta, Indonesia, a city that severely grapples with air pollution.
“I am hoping to gain institutional and domain knowledge of how China tackles air pollution for my future work and study in this policy area. Additionally, I aspire to build networks with other fellows and research professionals at EPIC.”
Sarah Hussain
DRW Fellow; Mentor: Erin Kelley, Assistant Professor, Harris School of Public Policy
Sarah Hussain is a Master of Science in Computational Analysis and Public Policy (MSCAPP) student at the Harris School of Public Policy. She brings several years of experience studying labor markets in low-income countries. She has worked on field-based and data-driven research, including large-scale randomized controlled trials, to better understand how economic systems can be made more inclusive. She is particularly interested in exploring how sustainable development policies can promote equitable growth.
“With a background in labor markets in low-income countries, I’m eager to explore how climate policy can be designed to promote sustainable livelihoods, especially for vulnerable populations. I aim to build skills in applying data-driven policy analysis to climate-related challenges and contribute to research that advances equitable and resilient solutions. This fellowship offers a unique opportunity to collaborate with like-minded peers and mentors, and I’m excited to grow as a researcher and policy practitioner in this space.”
Duzitian Li
DRW Fellow; Mentor: Mingyi Wang, Assistant Professor, Geophysical Sciences
Duzitian Li is a rising second-year PhD student at the Department of Geophysical Sciences, specializing in atmospheric chemistry and aerosol microphysics. His research combines laboratory experiments and model simulations to understand aerosol precursor formation to reduce uncertainties in climate projections. He has worked extensively on field data sampling and analysis during master’s work before joining UChicago. This summer, he will work with Professor Mingyi Wang on research exploring oxidation chemistry and new particle formation.
“Through this fellowship, I aim to gain a deeper understanding of how my experimental work fits into the larger picture of climate science and mitigation efforts. I hope to utilize the fellowship’s resources and mentorship opportunities to better ‘calibrate’ the real-world implications of my findings. I am also hoping to connect with fellows from diverse backgrounds. This interdisciplinary environment will be invaluable for sharing knowledge and collectively developing more robust strategies to address the challenge of the climate crisis.”
Riley Morrison
Bartlett Fellow; Mentor: Eyal Frank, Assistant Professor, Harris School of Public Policy
Riley Morrison, an M.S. in Computational Analysis and Public Policy (MSCAPP) student, is collaborating with Harris Professor Eyal Frank to study the environmental and economic impacts of area-based conservation approaches. Prior to graduate school, Riley studied political science at the University of Pennsylvania. He worked at the United Nations Population Fund on international reproductive health issues, then transitioned into public affairs consulting. At Quadrant Strategies, he led qualitative, quantitative and digital research projects for Fortune 500 companies and industry associations. Outside of research, Riley is an avid backpacker, skier and board game enthusiast (his favorites are Dune Imperium and 7 Wonders).
“I can’t wait to learn more about conservation and biodiversity and get my hands dirty with geospatial and causal analysis.”
Anu Raj Rana
Barlett Fellow; Mentor: Hajin Kim, Assistant Professor, Law School
Anu Raj Rana is a Master of Public Policy candidate at the Harris School of Public Policy. She brings over three years of experience in policy communications, spanning grassroots development initiatives and high-level policy engagement. As part of India’s G20 Presidency communications team, she contributed to strategic messaging on sustainable development and climate priorities. At Harris, Anu’s research interests include climate policy, energy security, and sustainability. She currently serves as a research assistant to Professor Hajin Kim. Through this role, she is deepening her expertise in data analysis and expanding her knowledge of ESG frameworks to support evidence-based approaches to climate policy.
“I am truly excited to be a part of Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago. I have always admired EPIC’s focus on solving the most pressing environmental challenges, therefore, I look forward to working with Professor Hajin Kim during the course of this summer.”
Feiyu Xiang
Barlett Fellow; Mentor: Kim Wolske, Research Associate Professor, Harris School of Public Policy
Feiyu Xiang is a first-year Master of Science in Computational Analysis and Public Policy student at the University of Chicago. With a strong foundation in data science and economics, Feiyu brings a multidisciplinary approach to public policy analysis, combining advanced technical skills with a deep understanding of policy design and evaluation. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Quantitative Science with a concentration in Economics from Emory University.
“Through this internship, I aim to deepen my practical knowledge and hands-on experience in full-stack web development, particularly using Node.js, AWS, and Ruby. While I have a solid foundational understanding of these technologies, I’m eager to work on real-world projects that challenge me to solve complex problems, write clean and scalable code, and collaborate effectively within a professional development team.”
Qilin Zhou
DRW Fellow; Mentor: Chris Clapp, Assistant Instructional Professor, Harris School of Public Policy
Qilin Zhou is a Master’s student in Computational Analysis and Public Policy at the Harris School of Public Policy. Her previous work spans machine learning, spatial analysis, and causal inference in social science research, with applications in healthcare and financial analysis. This summer, she is working with Professor Chris Clapp to assess the economic impact of the BP oil spill. By linking parcel-level housing data with geospatial records of oil damage and restitution boundaries, she is building a comprehensive dataset to support hedonic pricing models—regressions that estimate how environmental damage and compensation affect property values. Her analysis leverages difference-in-differences and boundary discontinuity designs to inform more effective disaster recovery policy.
“Through the EPIC fellowship, I hope to deepen my applied research skills in environmental economics and policy evaluation by contributing to a rigorous empirical analysis of the BP oil spill’s long-term impact. This project offers a unique opportunity to develop high-dimensional data pipelines using parcel-level real estate data, NOAA spill maps, and legal restitution boundaries. I aim to strengthen my spatial analysis and econometrics skills while working on Midway’s HPC cluster, collaborating closely with faculty, and learning to produce policy-relevant insights using hedonic price models.”
Zhichun Zhu
DRW Fellow; Mentor: Shaoda Wang, Assistant Professor, Harris School of Public Policy
Zhichun Zhu is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Public Policy with a Certificate in Research Methods (MACRM) at the Harris School of Public Policy. His research interests lie in development economy and political economy. He is currently working as a research assistant for Professor Shaoda Wang. Zhichun received his bachelor’s degree in Economics (honors track) from Zhejiang University in China, with a minor in Mathematics.
“Through this fellowship, I hope to engage in exciting and meaningful research projects that allow me to sharpen my empirical skills. I also look forward to building a strong working relationship with my professor, learning from their guidance and deepening my understanding of the research process.”