Nationally Renowned Energy Justice Scholar to Speak at UMass Amherst on February 20

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Dr. Tony G. Reames, a nationally recognized scholar in the fields of energy and environmental justice, will visit campus on February 20th to present “The Arc of Energy Justice: A Pursuit to Ensure Affordable, Reliable, and Clean Energy for All” – an engaging conversation about disparities in residential energy generation, consumption, and affordability centering on the production and persistence of inequality by race, class, and place – as part of a lecture and community dinner. This event is free to attend, though RSVP is encouraged.

• Lecture: 5:30pm in the Integrated Learning Center, Room S331
• Community dinner: 6:45pm in the Campus Center Amherst Room 

He will also host a technical talk on Friday, February 21 at 1pm in the Life Science Laboratories S330/340, titled “Coming Full Circle: Environmental and Energy Justice From South Carolina to Scholarship to Strategy”. This talk will be of particular interest to graduate students.

Reames is the Tishman Professor of Environmental Justice and an Associate Professor at the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability. He is the founder of the Urban Energy Justice Lab and the Energy Equity Project, and he also serves as the Director of the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability Detroit Sustainability Clinic (SEAS). His research focuses on investigating fair and equitable access to affordable, reliable, clean energy, and exploring the production and persistence of energy disparities across race, income, and geography.

A Black engineer, Reames has spent much of his career in the emerging field of energy justice, which investigates fair and equitable access to affordable, reliable, and clean energy technology. He is visiting UMass Amherst as part of the Distinguished Scientist and Engineer Seminar Series, which showcases the work of diverse and accomplished STEM faculty from across the country. The event is a collaboration between the College of Engineering and the College of Natural Sciences.

Prior to his position at SEAS, Dr. Reames took a leave of absence to serve as Principal Deputy Director for State and Community Energy Programs, and Deputy Director for Energy Justice at the U.S. Department of Energy. He led the Office of Energy Justice Policy and Analysis in the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity. In this role, he spearheaded the agency’s plan to implement President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, and was responsible for energy justice policy and analysis to ensure that energy investments and benefits reached frontline communities and Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color. He deployed $16 billion in support of energy efficiency measures and clean energy planning, aiding communities that bear the worst impacts of the climate crisis.

Dr. Reames holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Public Administration from the University of Kansas, a Master of Engineering Management from Kansas State University, and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University. He is a licensed professional engineer and an U.S. Army Veteran.