Meet the PI

Dr. Morgan Edwards

I am an Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s La Follette School of Public Affairs with affiliations at the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment (SAGE), Holtz Center for Science & Technology Studies, and Energy Analysis and Policy (EAP) graduate certificate.

My research and teaching focus on just energy responses to the climate crisis across policymaking scales. Here in the lab, we apply mixed quantitative and qualitative methods, combining large datasets, systems modeling, and community knowledge to understand the impacts of energy use and identify sustainable and equitable solutions to address these impacts. Outside of the lab, I enjoy rock climbing, cooking, and hiking with my dog, Bear. If you see me riding around campus on my bike, please stop and say hi.

 
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Our lab is guided by three primary values:


01

Collaboration

We need all hands on deck to address the climate crisis — from many disciplines, backgrounds, and perspectives. We work collaboratively with each other and with policymakers, community groups, and other organizations.

02

Equity and Inclusion

We work to advance equity here in the lab beyond. We invest in learning about and systemic biases and injustices and actively work to make science and policy more welcoming, inclusive, and transparent.

03

Policy Impact

We ground our research in real world policy problems and take a solutions-oriented perspective. We prioritize making our data and insights relevant to different climate actors, including community organizations and state and local governments.

Current lab members

Past members of the Lab

Previous members of the lab can be found here.

Join the Lab!

Prospective students

We are a growing group of students and researchers with a shared passion for evidence-based climate and energy policy. Our graduate student members are affiliated with MPA and MIPA programs at the La Follette School of Public Affairs and MS and PhD programs at the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies. We also work with undergraduates from across campus.


What to send

Prospective students can send an email to Professor Edwards with the subject line “Prospective Student: Your Name” with a CV and a brief description of yourself and how your interests intersect with research at the Climate Action Lab. Please allow one week for a response before following up.

If you are applying to graduate school, you are also encouraged to check out the programs at the La Follette School and the Nelson Institute and think about which is the best fit for your goals. While many students are funded by the lab, you are also encouraged to apply for external fellowship opportunities (e.g., NSF) when eligible. Note that deadlines for fellowships can be earlier than those for graduate school applications.

Priority research areas for new students are: (1) environmental justice and geospatial analysis (especially of large and novel datasets, including satellite data) and (2) fossil fuel phaseout (from a variety of methodological perspectives, including macro energy systems modeling, qualitative data analysis, and community-engaged planning approaches).