Our Expert Advisory Board
Dr. Sharlissa Moore
Associate Professor, James Madison College and the College of Engineering at Michigan State University
Professor Moore is jointly appointed between James Madison College and the College of Engineering at Michigan State University. Her teaching and research interests focus on the social, policy, equity, and security dimensions of energy systems, particularly those that cross nation-state borders and are undergoing dramatic change. She studies the social and policy issues associated with where renewable energy generation facilities are located, the integration of electricity grids across nation-state borders, and sustainable development in Morocco. Professor Moore’s book in the Routledge Studies in Energy Transitions book series, “Sustainable Energy Transformations, Power, and Politics: Morocco and the Mediterranean,” was published in the fall of 2018. She also works with the energy education community to improve teaching pedagogy on energy. Professor Moore works with engineers on topics including solar energy transitions, electric vehicles, and advanced nuclear power. She began her career in science and technology policy in Washington, DC and has worked at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Science and Technology Policy Institute.
Robert Ferry
Founding Director, Land Art Generator
Robert Ferry is a registered architect and LEED accredited professional with two decades of professional practice experience on both consultant and client sides. Following a decade of design and project management on sustainable new urbanist developments in the United States, he spent four years as a consultant on large commercial projects in the Middle East, where his focus shifted to ways in which buildings can move beyond net-zero and contribute to the energy needs of the surrounding city. His concept designs pushing the envelope of building-integrated renewable energy technology have been published widely. Through the Land Art Generator, he supports the critical role of architecture and urban design as part of a comprehensive solution to climate change. Robert is the co-founder of the Land Art Generator, partner at Studied Impact Design, and a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University.
Elizabeth Monoian
Founding Director, Land Art Generator
Elizabeth Monoian (MFA Carnegie Mellon University) is the founding co-director of the Land Art Generator, an organization that is developing global partnerships between private and public entities around interdisciplinary projects that address issues of climate and sustainability through the lens of creativity. She works closely with cities, universities, corporations, arts organizations, and community groups to design customized approaches to renewable energy installations. Elizabeth has published, exhibited, and presented globally on the aesthetics of renewable energy and the role of art in providing solutions to climate change. Under her leadership, Land Art Generator has received multiple National Endowment for the Arts grants and has been awarded the J.M.K. Innovation Prize, a program of the J.M. Kaplan Fund.
Dr. Martin Pasqualetti
Professor of Geography in the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning at Arizona State University
Dr. Martin J. Pasqualetti is Professor of Geography in the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning at Arizona State University; Senior Sustainability Scientist in the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability; and Co-Director of the Energy Policy Information Council (EPIC). He has worked throughout his career to advance the critical transition to a more sustainable energy future. His latest book (with others) is The Renewable Energy Landscape: Preserving Scenic Values in our Sustainable Future (Routledge). He is the ASU liaison to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. In addition, he has served as advisor to several agencies and NGOs, including the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the National Academy of Sciences, the Arizona Office of Energy Policy, the Union of Concerned Scientists, and Natural Resources Defense Council. In 2015, he received the Alexander and Ilse Melamid Gold Medal from the American Geographical Society for his international contributions to the study social issues of energy. He was honored as Alumnus of the Year in 2018 by the University of California (Riverside).
Gurbax Sahota
President & Chief Executive Officer, CALED
Executive Director, CA Academy For Economic Development
Gurbax Sahota is an experienced association professional who believes in the importance and need to collaborate and create meaningful partnerships in order to accomplish the goal of creating healthy, wealthy communities. Gurbax holds senior positions with CALED, the California Academy for Economic Development, and the California Enterprise Development Authority. As President & CEO of CALED, she is focused on creating strategic partnerships to promote the value of economic development and create a stronger voice for economic developers at the state and local level. Additionally, she has originated and implemented the creation of meaningful publications to support economic development in California, including:
Growing Thriving Rural Economic Development Corporations
Primer on California’s New Tax Increment Financing Tools
California Rural Infrastructure Financing Guide