2024 Shultz Energy Fellowships: California Air Resources Board, Advanced Clean Cars Branch
Regional-, state-, and city-level efforts are essential in our fight against climate change, especially in the field of energy. Stanford University is committed to helping by integrating its students into energy and climate ecosystems in the West through the Shultz Energy Fellowships program, an energy-related summer fellowship program for undergraduate and graduate students.
Named in honor of former Secretary of State George P. Shultz, one of the most widely admired American public servants of the past half-century, the program offers a suite of paid, energy-related public service fellowships for Stanford students in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah during the summer.
The fellowships run from Monday, June 24, 2024 to Friday, August 30, 2024.
Organization/Agency mission or role in state government
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is charged with protecting the public from the harmful effects of air pollution and developing programs and actions to fight climate change. CARB's mission is to lead by driving innovative solutions to improve public health and the environment. From requirements for clean cars and fuels to adopting innovative solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, CARB has pioneered a range of approaches that have set the standard for effective air and climate programs for the nation and the world. CARB leads the way by upholding five core values: collaboration, integrity, community, science-based, and equity. These core values are the pillars to achieving CARB’s ambitious environmental goals of providing healthful air for all Californians, achieving carbon neutrality and sustaining as net carbon negative thereafter, and reducing emissions in heavily burdened communities.
Potential Areas for Fellowship Projects
The Advanced Clean Cars Branch fosters a sustainable market for zero and ultra-clean emission light-duty vehicle technologies through regulations and market-supporting policies. Housed within the Advanced Clean Cars Branch, the fellow will support the implementation of the Clean Miles Standard. The Clean Miles Standard is a first-of-its-kind fleet regulation that sets annual zero-emission mile and greenhouse gas targets for ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft. The fellowship project may analyze data submitted by ride-hailing companies to evaluate compliance and industry trends related to the Clean Miles Standard, develop models and scenarios to evaluate future compliance trajectories, assess market barriers and trends by reviewing research and general literature, assist with evaluations of program impacts on ride-hailing drivers, and support program outreach through working group meeting coordination and updates to publicly available information.
Potential Mentor
- Ursula Lai, ZEV Market Advancement Section, Air Pollution Specialist
2023 Fellow
- Abhishek Kumar, MS '23 Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Learn more about Abhishek's experience at CARB:
- Basic understanding of California’s efforts for clean air and climate change protection and the role of public policy
- General knowledge of environmental management and of CARB and its function in the context of regulatory policy and setting standards for vehicles, engines, equipment, and fleets
- Strong communication skills (both written and oral)
- A demonstrated desire to work in a team environment and to learn from seasoned, expert practitioners
- A major in engineering, the physical sciences, and/or public policy is applicable background for this fellowship.
All Shultz fellows must be enrolled in the spring quarter before their fellowship.
All Shultz fellows must take a one-unit spring workshop course, 'Energy Policy in California and the West' taught by Professor Bruce Cain and Visiting Fellow Felicia Marcus that will provide an in-depth analysis of the role of California state agencies, the Western Interstate Energy Board, and the Western Electricity Coordinating Council in driving energy policy development, technology innovation, and market structures. Course number is CEE 263G / POLISCI 73 / PUBLPOL 73 / ENERGY 73. Schedule: Wednesdays from 9:30 am - 10:20 am (Spilker 143).
Please note that this opportunity is for graduate students. Interested undergraduates can apply via SIG.
