Sarah joined CLOSUP in September 2013 as a policy analyst, and transitioned to a postdoctoral fellowship in January 2015, then to senior project manager in February 2018. In this role, she manages CLOSUP's Energy and Environmental Policy Initiative (EEPI), including the National Surveys on Energy and the Environment (NSEE) and the new Energy and Environmental Policy Research Group, expanding the reach of UM's research related to renewable energy policy. Sarah's own research considers how energy development impacts rural communities, and in turn how state and local policies facilitate or hinder renewable energy development. Sarah received her doctorate in Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Michigan, where her dissertation looked at the impact that wind energy projects have on farming communities. She has a master's in engineering for sustainable development from the University of Cambridge, and a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Villanova University. Sarah also serves on the City of Ann Arbor Planning Commission.