Dr. Michele Bustamante (she/her)

Michele Bustamante specializes in the development of novel science-based policy tools, with an emphasis on multi-criteria and systems-informed approaches, in service of both people and the planet. Her work takes aim at complex challenges at the intersection of climate, energy, and natural resource policy—most often, focusing on fossil fuel infrastructure and clean energy mineral supply chain issues. Prior to joining NRDC, Bustamante spent two years as a postdoctoral research associate at MIT’s Materials Systems Lab, before coming to Washington, D.C., to advise on climate, energy, and science policy in the office of U.S. Senator Edward J. Markey as an AAAS congressional science & technology policy fellow. Bustamante holds a bachelor's degree in environmental engineering and materials engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a PhD in sustainability from Rochester Institute of Technology. She is based in Washington, D.C.