Carolyn E. Ramírez completed their Ph.D. in chemical engineering at Northwestern University in June of 2022. They studied physical organic chemistry in graduate school, focusing on nonlinear spectroscopy of artificial photosynthetic compounds for use in solar cells. Carolyn also pursued policy research in graduate school, synthesizing and recommending environmental-justice-centered strategies to provide equitable access to renewable energy while not placing a larger energy or economic burden on low-income and communities of color. Carolyn earned her bachelor’s in chemical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 2017. Now they work for an NGO, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), as a staff scientist in the Nature program where they work with lawyers, advocates, and other science experts in the organization in pursuit of protections for federal lands from logging and industrial development to preserve carbon sequestered in mature trees, combatting climate change and preserving biodiversity.
