Melissa Lott

Professor Melissa C. Lott is the Senior Director of Research of Columbia University’s SIPA Center on Global Energy Policy and a Professor of Practice at Columbia’s Climate School, Dr. Lott also serves on the United Nations Council of Engineers for the Energy Transition (CEET), an independent advisory council to the UN Secretary-General. She is also a current member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on the Future of Economics of Equitable Transition. Dr. Lott hosts The Big Switch podcast.

Dr. Lott has worked as an engineer and researcher for nearly 20 years in the USA, Europe, and Asia. She specializes in technology and policy research, working to increase our understanding of the impacts of our energy systems on air pollution and public health. She directly applies this understanding to help decision-makers mobilize solutions to support the low-carbon transition. Internationally recognized for her work on electricity and transportation, Dr. Lott has been featured in media outlets including PBS, National Public Radio, the BBC World Service, The Guardian, Good Morning America, Bloomberg, the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times. She has authored hundreds of scientific articles, columns, op-eds, and reports on the energy sector and energy technology transition. Dr. Lott was recently featured in the PBS documentary “Chasing Carbon Zero,” which discusses the net-zero energy transition in the United States. She was also named the 2023 recipient of the AGU Pavel S. Molchanov Climate Communications Prize.

Prior to joining CGEP, Dr. Lott held roles at the Asia Pacific Energy Research Centre, International Energy Agency, and U.S. Department of Energy. Throughout, she has worked as an engineer at YarCom Inc. Dr. Lott holds degrees from UC Davis, UT Austin, and University College London.