FRI Announces 2026 Utility Policy Fellow Cohort

Dr. Thomas Gifford recently completed his PhD in Economics at Colorado State University and is beginning a position at the National Wildlife Research Center studying the economics of human–animal interactions. His research focuses on environmental and energy economics, specifically the impacts of wildfires and determinants of electric vehicle adoption. He previously supported state legislators with clean energy policy resources through the Center for the New Energy Economy. Dr. Gifford earned a BA from Colorado College and an MA from the University of Denver.

Dr. Seunghoon Lee specializes in quantifying the economic costs of environmental shocks as an assistant professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Missouri. His research evaluates policy responses to these shocks and examines the mechanisms behind how such policies are formed. His academic background includes a BA from Seoul National University and an MPP from Harvard University. Dr. Lee earned his PhD from the University of Chicago.

Dr. Jancy Ling Liu serves as an assistant professor of economics at The College of Wooster. She studies how the energy transition affects local communities, with work on coal retirements, place-based energy policy, and the Inflation Reduction Act’s energy-community tax credits. Her research employs econometric and experimental methods to evaluate the impacts of transition on migration, housing, and public health. Dr. Liu received her PhD from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Dr. Srishti Slaria is an assistant professor of economics at Illinois State University, where she has served on the faculty since 2024. As an applied microeconomist, her research focuses on energy economics, environmental and resource economics, and development economics. Her work utilizes behavioral theories and nudge interventions to improve demand-side environment-friendly and sustainable behaviors. Dr. Slaria earned her PhD from the University of Kansas.

Dr. Dilek Uz joins the fellows cohort from the University of Nevada, Reno, where she is an associate professor of economics and serves as research faculty in the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology, and Natural Resources. Her work analyzes electricity markets and renewable energy integration within the scope of environmental and resource economics. She currently investigates the energy-water nexus, extreme weather impacts on power systems, and challenges facing rural electric service. Dr. Uz earned her PhD from the University of California, Berkeley.