UC Davis Policy Institute Announces Departure of Anthony Eggert; Economics Professor James Bushnell Serving as Acting Director

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Anthony Eggert

Anthony Eggert, Executive Director of the UC Davis Policy Institute for Energy, Environment and the Economy, is leaving for a senior position at a private foundation, it was announced on January 21, 2015.

Eggert has served as head of this innovative and influential institute since its founding in 2011.

With Eggert’s departure, serving as Acting Director for the Policy Institute will be James Bushnell, Associate Professor of Economics at UC Davis. Bushnell was Director of the Bio-based Industry Center at Iowa State University from 2009 to 2011 and Research Director of the Energy Institute at UC Berkeley from 2000 to 2009.

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James Bushnell

In California, the West, and nationally, the Policy Institute plays a leading role in leveraging university expertise to inform energy, climate, and transportation policies—acting as a bridge between scientific researchers and decision-makers. Under Eggert’s leadership, the Policy Institute has engaged in all aspects of the policy process: understanding the needs of policymakers to inform research questions and projects, proactively delivering accessible and timely research findings to legislative and administrative leadership and staff, and undertaking analysis and evaluation to improve existing policies.

“Anthony Eggert has been highly effective at informing policy on sustainable transportation, clean energy and climate adaptation,” said Dan Sperling, Director of the UC Davis Institute of Transportation studies and Faculty Chair of the Policy Institute Steering Committee. “Anthony was instrumental in building and guiding the institute from its inception and promoting unprecedented collaboration between government, industry, NGO’s, and academia. We are indebted to Anthony.”

“He laid the groundwork for the Policy Institute to play an even more influential role in the future,” added Sperling.

Mary Nichols, Chair of the California Air Resources Board and Policy Institute Advisory Board member, also reflected on Eggert’s time at the Institute: “Anthony Eggert established the UC Davis Policy Institute as a valued resource for climate and energy leaders in California and around the country. Through a variety of dialogs and programs with practitioners, Anthony highlighted the opportunities for leading-edge research to inform the decision-making process. There is no question that California’s climate policy is better as a result.”

Eggert previously served as an appointee of Governors Brown and Schwarzenegger in several senior policy positions, as a commissioner for the California Energy Commission, deputy secretary for the California Environmental Protection Agency, and senior advisor to the Air Resources Board. In private industry he worked as an engineer and manager for Ford Motor Company. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from University of Wisconsin – Madison and his master of science degree in transportation technology and policy from UC Davis.

Eggert commented on his time at UC Davis: “Through partnership with the top researchers on campus and beyond, support from campus leadership, and guidance from our faculty and advisory board, we were able to quickly build an Institute that had a positive and lasting impact on policy. I am very fortunate to have been part of the team to make this happen and I look forward to watching the Institute as it evolves and grows in the future.”

Eggert will be joining the ClimateWorks Foundation in San Francisco as a Program Director leading their work on transportation policy.

As it enters its fourth year, the Policy Institute’s work continues under the leadership of Bushnell as Acting Director. A search for an Executive Director is underway.

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