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Technical Workgroups

Eight Technical Workgroups conduct much of the day-to-day work of the assessment, including searching and critically reviewing the best available scientific literature, incorporating new projections, synthesizing data, and developing the technical report. Each workgroup is led by two co-chairs and has been tasked with examining climate change impacts in one of the following eight sectors:

Agriculture

Sector Co-Chairs:

  • Deborah Aller, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County
  • Allison Chatrchyan, Cornell University

Technical Workgroup Members:

  • Alejandro Calixto, Cornell University
  • Jaime Cummings, Syngenta
  • Ariel Ortiz-Bobea, Cornell University
  • Gregory Peck, Cornell University
  • Junior Schouten, Big Apple Edibles
  • Ben Weikert, SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill
  • Elizabeth Wolters, New York Farm Bureau
Buildings

Sector Co-Chairs:

  • Carrie Brown, Resource Refocus LLC
  • Nicholas Rajkovich, University at Buffalo, State University of New York

Workgroup Members:

  • Illya Azaroff, +LAB Architect/New York City College of Technology CUNY
  • Erik Backus, Clarkson University
  • Shannon Clarke, New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services
  • Jared Enriquez, University at Albany, State University of New York
  • Jamal Lewis, Rewiring America
  • K. Ozgem Ornektekin, KO2 Consulting
Ecosystems

Sector Co-Chairs:

  • Doug Burns, U.S. Geological Survey
  • Sheila Hess, CC Environment & Planning

Technical Workgroup Members:

  • Garrett Boudinot, Activate New York (formerly Cornell University)
  • Carrie Brown-Lima, Cornell University
  • Jason Corwin, University at Buffalo, State University of New York
  • John Foppert, Paul Smith’s College
  • George Robinson, University at Albany, State University of New York
  • Kevin Rose, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
  • Matt Schlesinger, New York Natural Heritage Program, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
  • Rebecca Shuford, New York Sea Grant
Energy

Sector Co-Chairs:

  • Susanne DesRoches, NYSERDA (formerly New York City Mayor’s Office of Resiliency)
  • Peter Marcotullio, Hunter College, City University of New York
  • Sandra Meier, Environmental Energy Alliance of New York

Technical Workgroup Members:

  • Peter Carney, Retired (New York Independent System Operator)
  • Jeff Freedman, University at Albany, State University of New York
  • Maureen Golan, New York Power Authority (NYPA)
  • Justin Gundlach, Building Decarbonization Coalition (formerly Institute for Policy Integrity at New York University School of Law
  • Jordi Parisian, NYPA
  • Peter Sheehan, New York State Department of Public Service
  • William Slade, Con Edison of New York
  • Lemir Teron, Howard University (formerly SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry)
  • Ke Wei, NYSERDA (formerly New York City Mayor’s Office of Sustainability)
Human Health and Safety


Sector Co-Chairs:

  • Janice Barnes, Climate Adaptation Partners
  • Perry Sheffield, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Technical Workgroup Members:

  • Nathan Graber, Saint Peters Health Partners Medical Associates
  • Sonal Jessel, WE ACT for Environmental Justice
  • Kevin Lanza, UTHealth School of Public Health in Austin
  • Vijay Limaye, Natural Resources Defense Council
  • Faustenia Morrow, Monarch of Infinite Possibilities
  • Anjali Sauthoff, Westchester County Government Consultant
  • Michael Schmeltz, California State University, East Bay
  • Shavonne Smith, Shinnecock Indian Nation Environmental Department
Society and Economy

Sector Co-Chairs:

  • Luis Aguirre-Torres, NYSERDA (formerly City of Ithaca)
  • Robin Leichenko, Rutgers University

Technical Workgroup Members:

  • Mary Austerman, New York Sea Grant
  • Deborah Balk, CUNY Institute for Demographic Research and Baruch College, City University of New York
  • Hallie Bond, Independent Consultant
  • Riobart Breen, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation – Office of Climate Change
  • David Burgy, New York Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery
  • Cassandra John, Spring Free EV
  • Franchelle Parker, Open Buffalo
  • Kenneth Schlather, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County
Transportation

Sector Co-Chairs:

  • Amy Macdonald, Thornton Tomasetti
  • Joan McDonald, Westchester County

Technical Workgroup Members:

  • Hua Cai, Purdue University
  • Jennifer Ceponis, Capital District Transportation Committee
  • Cheila Cullen, City University of New York
  • Projjal Dutta, New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority
  • Gary McVoy, McVoy Associates, LLC
  • Andrea Cristina Ruiz, ERG (formerly Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
Water Resources

Sector Co-Chairs:

  • Kelsey Leonard, University of Waterloo
  • Stephen Shaw, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Technical Workgroup Members:

  • Abraham Francis, Mohawk Council of Akwesasne
  • David Hermann, Retired (U.S. Department of State)
  • Laureline Josset, Columbia University, Columbia Water Center
  • Kris May, Pathways Climate Institute
  • Ben Wright, Hazen and Sawyer
  • Kiyoko Yokota, SUNY College at Oneonta