Josh Linn is a professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Maryland and a senior fellow at Resources for the Future (RFF). His research centers on the effects of environmental policies and market incentives on households and businesses in the transportation, electricity, and industrial sectors. His transportation research assesses the effects of passenger vehicle taxation and fuel economy standards in the US and Europe on technology adoption and consumer well-being. Recently he has examined the effects of Beijing’s vehicle ownership restrictions on travel behavior, labor supply, and fertility.

His work on the electricity sector has compared the effectiveness of cap and trade and alternative policy instruments in promoting new technology and reducing emissions. Several studies have compared the roles of natural gas prices and environmental regulation in explaining coal mine closures and the shift away from coal-fired generation in the US.

Linn’s research on the manufacturing sector has investigated the role of energy prices in driving the adoption of energy-saving technology and the effects of carbon pricing on industrial competitiveness. He has published in leading general interest and field journals in environmental, energy, and health economics.

Linn was a senior economist at the Council of Economic Advisers from 2014-2015. He served on a National Academy of Sciences committee studying light duty fuel economy.

Education:
Ph.D., Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
B.A., Astronomy and Physics, Yale University

Kate Whitefoot is an Associate Professor at Carnegie Mellon University in the Department of Engineering and Public Policy and the Department of Mechanical Engineering. She is a Fellow of the Carnegie Mellon Scott Institute for Energy Innovation and an Associate Editor of the Journal of Mechanical Design. Prior to her current position, she served as a Senior Program Officer and the Robert A. Pritzker Fellow at the National Academy of Engineering where she directed the Academy’s Manufacturing, Design, and Innovation program.

Professor Whitefoot's research bridges engineering design and economics to understand how product and process design affects the three pillars of sustainability: economic, environmental, and social. Her current research activities address two critical sustainability challenges currently facing society: (1) reducing greenhouse gas emissions in major sectors such as transportation to mitigate more extreme climate change, and (2) understanding how technological changes affect production and the workforce.

Professor Whitefoot has gained recognition nationally and internationally for her research and teaching. Her work is featured in the Washington Post, Popular Mechanics, Bloomberg Business, and Business Insider, and referenced in the 2017-2025 Corporate Average Fuel Economy rulemaking. She has worked with several companies, including Boeing, Cummins, Ford, and IBM, and has been invited to present briefings at the White House, Capitol Hill, the Department of Commerce, and the Environmental Protection Agency.