The Team
R.E.S.P.E.C.T. is a collaboration among four institutions. The project bridges observations from qualitative to quantitative, and scales from individual to group to community to state to nation.
Chris Messer
Professor, Sociology
Colorado State University – Pueblo
Chris has research interests in organizational deviance, social movements, and collective behavior.
Projects: RESPECT
Christin Kreml
Research Program Manager
Colorado State University – Fort Collins
Christin is the Research Engagement and Program Manager for the RESPECT and CJI projects. She supports coordination across research teams and helps keep the project organized and moving forward.
Projects: RESPECT, Climate Jobs Initiative
Ellison Carter
Assistant Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Colorado State University – Fort Collins
Ellison is an environmental engineering researcher with interests in indoor and outdoor air quality, air pollution exposure, and the impacts of energy policy and air pollution interventions on health and climate.
Projects: RESPECT
Karthik Akkiraju
Postdoctoral Researcher
Yale School of the Environment
Karthik is a materials scientist and engineer, specializing in environmental and energy-related topics ranging from synthetic chemistry to energy justice using both experimental and computational methods.
Projects: RESPECT
Mohammad Rayeedul Kalam Siam
Postdoctoral Researcher
Colorado State University – Fort Collins
Rayeedul is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at CSU. Dr. Siam received M.Eng. and Ph.D. degrees in Civil Engineering (Transportation) from Oregon State University and a B.S. degree from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). He is the recipient of the 2020 Michael Kyte Region 10 Outstanding Student of the Year Award in recognition of his research contribution and leadership qualities. At CSU, he is exploring interrelationships between humans and built environment components with the use of agent-based models and network theory.
Projects: RESPECT
Narasimha Rao
Associate Professor of Energy Systems
Yale School of the Environment
Narasimha examines the relationship between energy systems, human development and climate change. He has examined energy and emissions thresholds for providing decent living standards for all. His research interests also include income inequality, infrastructure, and climate policy. His methods include household energy modeling, econometrics, input-output, and policy analysis.
Projects: RESPECT
Paul Francisco
Director, Indoor Climate Research and Training
Champaign County Regional Planning Commission, Indoor Climate Research & Training
Paul’s research focus is the interplay between energy efficiency and indoor air quality, primarily in low-income housing. He has chaired ASHRAE’s Residential Ventilation Standard (62.2), Environmental Health, and Residential Buildings Committees. He also directs a weatherization training center at the Champaign County Regional Planning Commission, where he teaches Healthy Homes principles to practitioners. Paul is contributing to the development of technology in the Protection team and advises on the Diagnostic and Delivery teams
Projects: Climate Jobs Initiative
Ryan Scott
Assistant Professor, Political Science
Colorado State University – Fort Collins
Ryan’s interest is managing risks associated with oil and gas development, energy development, and air quality. His research focuses on local and state policy making. He is especially interested in participatory processes and measuring outcomes and outputs resulting from involving citizens and nongovernmental actors in public policy decision making and implementation.
Projects: RESPECT, Climate Jobs Initiative
Sarai Benitez
Ph.D. Student, Political Science
Colorado State University – Fort Collins
Sarai specializes in public policy and administration. Her research focuses on state and local policymaking to support sustainable futures for communities and the built environment. As part of the CJI team, Sarai leads residential interviews and collaboration efforts with community organizations.
Projects: Climate Jobs Initiative
Stacy Gloss
Assistant Director, EnergySense Resilience Center
University of Illinois System
Stacy leads program management for energy efficiency and residential renewable energy projects. She has worked with weatherization and indoor-environment projects for nearly 10 years and has extensive experience in community service, sustainability, and energy efficiency. Stacy is the interface between the community advisory board and the research team.
Projects: RESPECT, Climate Jobs Initiative
Tami Bond
Walter Scott, Jr. Presidential Chair in Energy, Environment and Health
Colorado State University – Fort Collins
Tami’s interest is in how human decisions affect local and global environments, and how those environments in turn affect their residents. From cooking practices to consumer goods movements, her work focuses on identifying critical elements in complex systems, and on realistic visions of change. As Principal Investigator of the project, she is responsible for keeping the North Star in view.
Projects: RESPECT, Climate Jobs Initiative
Zach Merrin
Senior Research Engineer
Indoor Climate Research & Training, Champaign County Regional Planning Commission
Zach is a building science researcher specializing in residential indoor air quality and energy efficiency. He is completing a review of the relevant residential electrification technologies and is acting as a subject matter expertise on the capabilities and realities of residential electrification equipment.
Projects: RESPECT, Climate Jobs Initiative
Zahra Heidari
Ph.D. Student, Systems Engineering
Colorado State University – Fort Collins
Zahra is a Ph.D. student in Systems Engineering at CSU. She is exploring representations of well-being in transition. Zahra came to CSU after several years of work experience in climate-smart agriculture. She holds an MBA and a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Tehran.
Projects: RESPECT, Climate Jobs Initiative