Research Team
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Carolina Chimbanda
Email: cchimbanda@luc.edu
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Carolina Chimbanda is a third-year Environmental Policy student at Loyola University Chicago. Her academic and professional interests focus on environmental justice, policy, and sustainable development. She serves on the Executive Committee of the Sierra Club Illinois—Chicago Group, where she co-chairs the State Lobby Team, leading volunteer training and legislative advocacy. Her research interests include national versus international energy systems and strategies for building efficient, equitable renewable energy markets.
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Ella Daugherty
Email: edaugherty2@luc.edu
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Ella Daugherty is a third-year student at Loyola University Chicago pursuing bachelor’s degrees in Environmental Studies and Political Science with a minor in Advocacy and Social Change. Her research interests include implementation of environmental policy and community engagement with renewable energy initiatives. Outside of research, Ella is an Engagement Editor for the Loyola Phoenix.
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Elizabeth Sanchez
Email: esanchez17@luc.edu
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Elizabeth Sanchez is pursuing a bachelor's degree in Environmental Policy with a minor in Political Science on the pre-law track at Loyola University Chicago. At Loyola, Elizabeth provides support to the Climate & Energy Focus Area at the School of Environmental Sustainability and works with various campus initiatives, such a Pre-Law Society and the Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice. Elizabeth’s career interests include environmental law and policy, as well as sustainable urban development.
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Melina Slone
Email: melinas5302@gmail.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melina-slone/ -
Melina Slone holds a BA in Environment with a specialization in GIS from the University of Michigan, and a certificate in Sustainable Business through the Erb Institute. She is currently working at a climate tech company in Chicago, focused on software for renewable energy credits and other environmental commodities. During her time as an undergrad, she studied renewable energy in Iceland and geology and field ecology on the big Island of Hawai’i. Her research interests include understanding the incentives for siting and expanding renewable energy projects, as well as optimizing their integration into the grid.
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D. Austin Stadie
Email: dstadie@luc.edu
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D. Austin Stadie holds a B.A. in Environmental Policy from Loyola University Chicago. He is currently pursuing an M.S. in Environmental Science & Sustainability at Loyola's School of Environmental Sustainability. Before his graduate studies, Austin gained experience working with Loyola's Urban Agriculture program and aquaponics systems, cultivating his interest in sustainable food production. For his graduate research, Austin investigates how businesses perceive, frame, and discuss energy policy, and how these choices vary across Illinois' partisan geography. The broader goal of his work is to assess the potential for businesses to build consensus and influence policy outcomes on contentious political issues, using the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) as a case study. His research interests include American politics, environmental policy, public opinion, as well as political behavior and strategy.