Alicia Zhang

City & State Policy Advisor

Alicia Zhang is an energy system and decarbonization strategies analyst. Her work centers around using technical analysis for community engagement and empowerment to solve challenges in sustainability. She holds Bachelor degrees in International Affairs and Psychology from Washington University in St. Louis and a PhD in Earth and Environment from Boston University. Her doctoral research used econometrics tools to model and evaluate dematerialization, corporate climate governance, and energy efficiency programs.

She previously worked as a Research Fellow at Applied Economics Clinic and as an Environmental Protection Specialist at the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (U.S. Department of Transportation), providing data analysis and research on challenges in energy, climate, and equity. In 2022, Alicia was a New Futures Fellow at Planet Reimagined, working with the Climate + Music team to apply an ESG framework to the music industry.

Alicia is also passionate about engaging historically unrepresented communities in the outdoors. When she is not working, she is climbing, running, or doing some outdoor activity.