Sustainable
Transitions Lab
Principal Investigator
Erin Mayfield, Ph.D.
Hodgson Family Assistant Professor of Engineering
mayfield@dartmouth.edu | Office: Irving 352
Dr. Erin Mayfield is the Hodgson Family Assistant Professor at Dartmouth College in the Thayer School of Engineering. Her research is in the areas of sustainable systems engineering and public policy. Dr. Mayfield focuses on three interacting research themes - multiobjective modeling, intergenerational & social equity, and climate mitigation & adaptation planning. The aim of her research is to develop computational decision support tools to address real-world problems and facilitate multi-stakeholder decision-making processes. Mayfield has participated in several large-scale collaborations on infrastructure transitions, including the Net-Zero America Project, the REPEAT Project, and the Fifth National Climate Assessment. Her research is regularly covered in national and local media such as the New York Times, The Atlantic, and National Public Radio. Mayfield has received several awards for her research such as the Rob Socolow Best Paper Award, American Chemical Society Editor's Choice Award, and the Herbert L. Toor Doctoral Research Award. During the Biden-Harris administration, Dr. Mayfield served as a strategic advisor in the Office of Policy at the U.S. Department of Energy and the Assistant Director for Net-Zero Pathways in the White House. Prior to academia, Mayfield was a practitioner working with and in vulnerable communities on hazardous waste remediation, environmental litigation, and infrastructure planning. She has also held positions at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Congress, Princeton University, and Environmental Law Institute. She received her doctoral degree in engineering and public policy from Carnegie Mellon University, masters in environmental engineering from Johns Hopkins University, and bachelors in environmental science from Rutgers University.
Postdoctoral Scholars
Lynée Turek-Hankins, PhD
Neukom Institute Postdoctoral Scholar
lynee.turek@dartmouth.edu | Office: Irving 254
Dr. Lynée Turek-Hankins researches climate change adaptation and mitigation responses with an emphasis on the interconnected housing and energy sectors. Lynée combines data science and co-production to identify multisector drivers of residential climate risks, like extreme heat exposure, and to assess response opportunities for the housing–energy nexus. Her data-driven research approach is decision relevant and rooted in collaborations with diverse knowledge holders and practitioners, such as state and municipal governments, small businesses, and community groups. She also studies how to improve decision support and decision-making processes. Lynée received her Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Policy from the University of Miami as a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow and her B.S.E. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University. She served as a chapter author for the Fifth and Sixth U.S. National Climate Assessments and was an adjunct researcher with the RAND Corporation.
Doctoral Students
Alexis Hudes
First-Year Doctoral Student
alexis.hudes.th@dartmouth.edu | Office: Irving 253
Their current research interests include residential decarbonization, decision support, and multiobjective modeling. Before starting at Thayer, they taught high school physics, including an elective class on renewable energy, after completing a B.A. in physics from Bates College. Their prior research includes an assessment of optimal sites for small scale hydropower in the Philippines and an analysis of the impact of Solar Roadways on light pollution in the United States. Alexis is co-advised by Klaus Keller.
Michael May
Third-Year Doctoral Student | NSF GRFP
michael.j.may.th@dartmouth.edu | Office: Irving 251
Mike researches the role of engineered carbon removal technologies - such as CCS, DAC, and BECCS - in meeting U.S. climate targets. His research combines spatially explicit techno-economic modeling with national energy system models to assess the feasibility and infrastructure requirements of large-scale carbon removal. He analyzes how climate and market variability influences DAC performance and costs across the U.S., develops high-resolution supply curves for COâ‚‚ pipeline networks, and models how spatial heterogeneity in carbon removal affects power sector decarbonization.
Robin (Xinyue) Zou
Third-Year Doctoral Student
xinyue.zou.th@dartmouth.edu | Office: Irving 251
Robin (Xinyue) Zou’s research interests lie in energy system modeling and optimization, particularly in developing sustainable and practical climate solutions for the industrial sector. Her current work focuses on the iron and steel sector, analyzing environmental and economic performance to identify viable decarbonization pathways. Prior to joining the lab, Robin earned her B.S. from Smith College in 2022, where she studied engineering and mathematics. Outside of research, Robin enjoys traveling, hiking, and binge-watching TV shows with family and friends.
Alumni
Postdoctoral Scholars
Maarten Brinkerink, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Scholar
Dr. Brinkerink is a native of the Netherlands, and his expertise is in energy systems modelling. With a PhD in Energy Engineering from University College Cork, Maarten’s current research focuses on the application of computational models to assess different decarbonization pathways for the global energy system.
Yohan Min, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Scholar
Dr. Min's research focuses on energy justice associated with vulnerable communities and energy infrastructures. In particular, he is examining spatio-temporal adoption patterns of distributed energy resources such as rooftop solar and electric vehicles to identify spatial and recognition justice and spillover effects of technology adoption. Furthermore, he is studying adoption strategies for vulnerable communities to increase clean energy access through data analysis and modeling on a statistical basis. The purpose of his research is to promote social equity in the energy transition.
Graduate Students: Jacob Jaskwhich (MEng/BE ’23 and AB '22), Filip Nowicki (MEM ’23), Jhujhar Sarna (MEng ’23, FYREE Scholar), Gordon Sherman (MEng ’24)
Undergraduate Students: Keiran Ahern (Dartmouth ’21, Irving Institute Grantee), Allister Azagidi (Dartmouth ’22 , Irving Institute Grantee), Anna Block (Dartmouth ’26, WISP Scholar), Daysia Charles (Dartmouth ’25, Doris Duke Conservation Scholar, UGAR Scholar), John DeForest (Dartmouth ’25, UGAR Scholar), PJ Griffiths (Dartmouth ’26, FYREE Scholar, UGAR Scholar), Rahul Gupta (Dartmouth ’26, FYREE Scholar), Anoush Khan (Dartmouth ’22, Irving Institute Grantee), Avery Moorhead (Dartmouth ’25, Luce Scholar, Presidential Scholar), Alan Ngouenet (Dartmouth ’25, UGAR Scholar), Julian Perez-Doval (Dartmouth ’23, Senior Thesis), Nate Roe (Dartmouth ’23, UGAR Scholar, Senior Thesis), Karson Smith (Dartmouth ’25, WISP Scholar, UGAR Scholar), Claire Wayner (Princeton ’22), Albert Zhang (Dartmouth ’25, FYREE Scholar)
Feline Research Assistants
Alma Mayfield
