Mel George is a PhD student at the School of Public Policy, specializing in energy & environmental policy. His doctoral dissertation explores how climate change mitigation pathways can best deliver on both societal and climate goals, applying integrated assessment modeling tools. His work investigates the distributional effects of energy-climate policies by socioeconomic class and geography with a focus on energy poverty & income inequality. He is also a Visiting Research Fellow at the Pacific Northwest National Lab.
An electrical engineer by training, Mel’s research interests are at the intersection of technology & policy, and their implications for sustainable development and broader societal needs. He enjoys working on interdisciplinary problems at all scales and going beyond technocratic approaches, spanning the gamut from grid integration of renewable energy to political economy aspects of the energy transition.
Prior to joining the program, Mel spent almost a decade in the public sector in India and a Fortune 500 organization. He gained wide experience moving through different domains ranging from research & development, engineering & construction, administration to strategy and energy policy. He holds a Master of Technology in Energy Science & Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, India & a Bachelor of Technology degree in Electrical Engineering, graduating the equivalent of summa cum laude in each instance.
He also serves as the Graduate Student Representative on the UMD Senate’s Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee.
- Integrated assessment modeling; energy & development economics; sustainable development; equity, innovation and trade
School Authors: Haewon McJeon, Mel George
Other Authors: Mel George, Haewon McJeon
