I am actively recruiting doctoral students to join my research team at Indiana. If you are interested in working with me, please contact me with information about your background and research interests. You can also read more about the PhD programs at SPEA here.
I also routinely work with undergraduate and masters students, and prospective and current IU students should contact me about current opportunities.
I am currently working with the following talented group of students on various projects:
Michelle Graff is a doctoral student at Indiana University’s School of Environmental and Public Affairs program. She studies domestic environmental policy and policy analysis, with a focus on U.S. energy assistance programs and the distributive impacts of energy policies. Michelle grew up in New York and earned a B.A. from Colby College in Maine and Masters degree from George Washington University. Prior to moving to Bloomington, Michelle lived in Washington, D.C. and worked for a New England Democratic Congresswoman and the Environmental Protection Agency. When she isn’t working, Michelle enjoys walking and running with her dog on the B-Line or in the woods.
Adam Lazri is a PhD student from the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region sthttps://blogs.iu.edu/konisky/graduate-students/udying public affairs at Indiana University, Bloomington. My major areas of study are environmental policy and policy analysis, and my minor is social science methods. My primary research interest is environmental justice, including concerns ranging from discriminatory siting of environmental hazards to minority opinions vis-a-vis environmental outcomes.
Trevor Memmott is a PhD student at Indiana University’s O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. He studies environmental policy, with an interest in environmental justice and energy transition. Trevor was born in Los Angeles but grew up in Idaho, what he got his B.S. in political science and M.P.A from the University of Idaho. Before moving to Bloomington, he worked as an administrative assistant at the City of Moscow and as an adjunct professor at Washington State University and the University of Idaho. In his free time, Trevor enjoys reading, hanging out with his dogs, and playing basketball.
Zoya Atiq is a doctoral student at Indiana University’s O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. She studies environmental and energy policy analysis with a focus on energy transition and labor market outcomes, public perceptions toward energy infrastructure and the effects of climate change on migration trends and markets across developed and developing economies. Prior to starting her PhD, she was a Fulbright scholar at O’SPEA where she got her Master in Public Affairs. She is from Pakistan where she did her undergraduate in Economics from Lahore University of Management Sciences and worked for a USAID project directed toward reducing line losses across power distribution companies in Pakistan. During her free time, she likes traveling, practicing yoga, reading and cooking.
Laura Helmke-Long is a doctoral student at Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA). She studies environmental policy, environmental health, and environmental justice issues. Laura grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Prior to moving to Bloomington, she spent nine years living in Europe. She received her undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has a Master of Public Affairs degree from SPEA and a Master of Health Sciences degree from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Laura has worked for the government in various capacities, including positions with the Chicago Public Schools’ Magnet School Program, the Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR Program, and as a contractor to the State Department while living in Serbia and Germany. She enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, hiking, reading, and cooking.
Past Students:
Zhengyan Li is a doctoral student at the School of Public and Environmental Affairs of Indiana University. He studies environmental justice and intergovernmental relationship. His dissertation will examine the implication of information disclosure for environmental justice. Before he came to SPEA, Zhengyan graduated from Renmin University of China with a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics and from Columbia University with a Master’s degree in Public Administration. In his free time, Zhengyan likes hiking and traveling.
Parrish Bergquist completed her PhD in 2018 from MIT’s Department of Political Science and Department of Urban Studies & Planning. She studies public opinion, political parties, and political representation, with a focus on state politics and the environment. Her dissertation project addresses the development of the parties’ positions on environmental issues, the evolution of public opinion about them, and the relationship between public opinion and elite positions. Parrish grew up in Birmingham, AL, and earned a B.A. at the University of Virginia and Masters degrees in environmental policy and urban planning from the University of Michigan. Other highlights from life before graduate school include serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Honduras and working for the Federal Trade Commission, City of Ann Arbor, and National Association of Development Organizations. If she’s away from her desk, check outside; she’s probably running, hiking, cycling, or climbing. Parrish is a postdoctoral fellow at the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication.
Jaynell Nicholson completed an MPA-MSES student at SPEA concentrating in Environmental Policy and Natural 
Resource Management. She earned her B.S. in Environmental Conservation Biology from Kent State University where her interests in urban ecological systems peaked. Hailing from Pittsburgh, PA she has been inspired by the city’s environmental history and is invested in learning how to solve urban environmental problems in equitable ways. Her passion for empowering students of Color and Women in Science fields and diversifying the Environmental field are fed from working with organizations such as the Scientista Foundation, NY Academy of Sciences and NAACP Climate Environment and Climate Justice Program and participating in the Environmental Fellows Program. In her free time she enjoys hiking, writing poetry, and serving as mentor to undergraduate students. Jaynell is now a Project Manager at ecoRise.
Stefan Carpenter completed a doctoral candidate in Indiana University’s Joint Public Policy Program, which is jointly administered by the School of Public and Environmental Affairs and the Department of Political Science. His dissertation focuses on the collective governance of wildlife resources in the presence of human-wildlife conflict and its effectiveness compared to the traditional “fortress model” conservation approach. In his former life, Stefan was a practicing attorney, where he engaged in civil, employment, and environmental litigation. When he isn’t thinking academic thoughts, Stefan enjoys hiking, riding his bikes, photography, and chasing after his exceedingly energetic kids. Stefan is now an Assistant Professor at Florida Gulf Coast University.
Lauren Travis completed an MPA in 2017 at SPEA with concentrations in Policy Analysis and Sustainable Development. She received a bachelors degree in Economics from Willamette University with a minor in Environmental Science. Inspired by a lifelong love for the outdoors, Lauren’s passion for environmental policy and economics has continued to deepen throughout her graduate studies. In her free time, Lauren can be found hiking outdoors, reading voraciously or exploring new places with a camera in hand. Lauren is now Assistant Director of Sustainability at City of Bloomington, IN.
Matt Flaherty completed an MPA-MSES student at SPEA, concentrating on Energy and Environmental Systems 
Analysis & Modeling. Matt hails from Springfield, Illinois and studied civil and environmental engineering as an undergraduate at the University of Illinois, where he also competed in varsity track and cross country. He holds a law degree from IU’s Maurer School of Law. As a professional, Matt previously worked at Winston & Strawn LLP in Chicago, where he focused on patent litigation matters. He also pursued a five-year career as a professional runner, where he represented Team USA at three World Championships events. Matt still loves to run, and he enjoys competingin mountain trail races around the word. He also loves his walk-able, bike-able life in Bloomington.
Caroline Engle completed a dual MPA-MSES student at SPEA, concentrating in energy and policy analysis. As a 7th generation Kentuckian, she’s focusing her studies on ways to transition an extraction-based economy produced by the coal industry to locally based economies that protect workers and the environment. Caroline earned a B.S. in environmental science and a B.S. in agricultural economics from the University of Kentucky where she focused on climate policy while attending COP 20 and COP 21. In her free time Caroline enjoys picking on the banjo, hiking, and community organizing.
Savannah Sullivan completed a dual MPA-MSES student at Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs, concentrating in Sustainable Development and Environmental Justice. She grew up in foothills of the CO Rockies and outskirts of Appalachia OH, and studied Economics and Environmental Studies at Oberlin College. She began her career in the field of green chemistry in Washington DC, first as a contractor for the US EPA then a research associate for the ACS Green Chemistry Institute. Prior to moving to Bloomington she was an AmeriCorps VISTA for Rural Action, an Appalachian social-economic-environmental justice organization, and most recently a Public Ally for the City of Cincinnati’s Office of Environment and Sustainability. In her free time, Savannah likes to dance, bike, and ferment things.
Brett Wiley completed an MPA in 2017 at SPEA focusing on energy and sustainable development and pursuing a Certificate of Social Entrepreneurship, a joint program between SPEA and the Kelley School of Business. Brett is born and raised in the Midwest and back to those prairie roots after six years in the DC area. When he’s not working on adapting our world to climate change, he bakes, bikes, lives for a good laugh, and many other things that are at the heart of nurturing a community.
Linus Platzer completed an MPA in 2017 at SPEA, concentrating in Energy and Policy Analysis. He grew up just outside the green city of Freiburg, Germany, and has moved around to places like Sweden, Argentina, Nebraska, Washington DC, and now Indiana. In the next years, Linus hopes to expand his experiences on the intersections of research, consulting, political strategy, and public leadership to work on the big picture of social and sustainability challenges. Much of his free time goes towards collaborating with other people on campus and in the community on making the place wherever he is more sustainable, but lots of food, deep conversations, doing sports, and the occasional dance move help him get a break from it. Linus is now a policy advisor at the Transformative Urban Mobility Initiative.
Austin Lesh is graduated from IU in 2017, where he was a Cox Research Scholar. He majored in physics and was involved in Reformed University Fellowship (RUF). In his free time, he likes to play chess, watch football, and go hiking with his wife. Austin is now pursuing a masters degree in statistical science at IU.