As an intern through the Environmental Defense Fund's Climate Corps Fellow program, Bridget worked with EVolve Houston over this past summer to provide program support and help us achieve our goal of advancing clean, sustainable transportation and improving air quality in the Houston area.
What led you to EVove Houston?
Transportation electrification is a passion for me. I feel optimistic and energized as each day I learn new information on how the industry is moving forward to make the future of mobility a reality. As a Masters of Environmental Management Candidate at the Yale School of the Environment, I am focusing my studies on energy, business, and the environment to accelerate transportation electrification to improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Through the Environmental Defense Fund Climate Corps Fellowship program, I looked for opportunities to work on transportation electrification and was incredibly fortunate to be paired with EVolve Houston, working on the exact issues I am committed to addressing in my career.
What are some skills you were able to apply and develop?
While working alongside the Policy and Commercialization & Infrastructure teams at EVH, I was able to engage in strategic thinking in stakeholder engagement, communication of ideas and thought leadership clearly and succinctly, and application of research to make the case for commercialization pathways.
What was your most memorable moment from this program?
I really enjoyed the opportunity to present my data to leading air quality and transportation electrification experts in the region at Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) and Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC). It was great to dig into assumptions in modeling transportation electrification scenarios and I appreciated their expertise and guidance.
How would you describe EVolve Houston's culture?
Such an amazing team! It is pretty impressive that we have never met in person and yet have been able to build strong relationships and work effectively across states and time zones. I had a lot of fun working with the team at EVolve Houston, and I particularly enjoyed hearing about the art of Mutton Bustin’ at the Houston Rodeo.
What are your future plans and how has your work with EVolve Houston impacted you?
I will be finishing up my Masters degree in May of 2021 and hope to apply what I learned with EVolve Houston to continue advancing transportation electrification. I am interested in working with a federal agency to spur innovation, encourage electric vehicle adoption, and provide resources for public use, which I know I have relied on and benefited from in my work.