Chad Zanocco

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Chad Zanocco completed his PhD in Public Policy at OSU and has a MS in Agricultural and Resource Economics from University of California, Davis. Prior to completing his master’s, he served as an Americorps volunteer in northern California where he administered a small-business scholarship program for Arcata Economic Development Corporation. At OSU, he has explored alternative futures for coastal change and hazards through the Tillamook County Coastal Futures Project, an effort supported through NOAA’s Coastal and Ocean Climate Change Applications program. For his dissertation, he worked on the NSF-funded VISTAS project to develop visual analytics software to enable scientists to better understand and communicate about large and complex environmental problems spanning spatial and temporal scales. He worked with Hilary on projects related to public perceptions of unconventional oil and gas development, community reactions to extreme weather, and youth energy education programming. He is currently a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University in Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Warda Ajaz

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Warda Ajaz completed her PhD in Public Policy at OSU in 2019. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Energy System Engineering at the National University of Sciences and Technology in Pakistan. Her PhD research focused on the socio-technical transition toward microgrids and other decentralized energy systems.

Casey Taylor

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Casey Taylor graduated in 2016 with a PhD in Environmental Science and Public Policy. Her dissertation examined the use of science in collaborative management efforts to conserve Sage Grouse populations in the West. Casey also worked with Dr. Boudet on a research project evaluating the response of local communities to large-scale renewable energy development in the West. Before arriving at OSU, Casey completed her MS in Conservation Biology and Applied Ecology at University of Michigan and spent several years working in field biology and environmental education. She is now a faculty member the University of Delaware.

Paty Fernandez

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Paty Fernandez completed her Ph.D. in Public Policy at OSU in 2020. Her doctoral research explored the policy and institutional implications of the Water-Energy Nexus, specifically regarding transitions from traditional irrigation systems to integrated systems in the rural American West. Prior to coming to OSU, she earned a BA in Political Science and a Master’s degree in Public Administration and Public Policy from the School of Government (EGTP) of the Tecnológico de Monterrey. She also worked as a researcher at the Institute for Regional Development of the Tecnológico de Monterrey (Mexico), where her main areas of research were water governance and institutional capacity.

Leanne Giordono

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Leanne Giordono completed her PhD student in the School of Public Policy at OSU in 2018. Her graduate studies are focused on the policy and governance changes related to employment services and supports for adults with intellectual and developmental disability. She received her MPA from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School (2000) and subsequently spent almost fifteen years conducting program evaluation and applied research for public agencies and non-profit organizations until her return to graduate school in 2014. She was a postdoctoral scholar at OSU working with Hilary on the Smart & Connected Kids for Sustainable Energy Communities project. She is now an Assistant Professor (Visiting Faculty) in the School of Planning, Public Policy & Management at the University of Oregon.