PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island – Today the Climate Social Science Network — an international network of social science scholars focused on understanding the cultural and institutional dynamics of the political conflict over climate change — announced a new postdoctoral fellow, Jared Heern.

Based at the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, Dr. Heern will lead a research project about partisanship, public utility commissions, and net-metering efforts.

Dr. Heern received a Ph.D. in Political Science from George Washington University and a B.A. in Political Science from Truman State University where he gained experience working in all three branches of the Missouri government. His research focuses on American energy and environmental politics and policy, primarily in the contexts of legislative and executive branch behavior, public opinion and representation, and partisanship. Jared’s dissertation examined partisan and institutional influences on the environmental policy decisions of state public utility commissions (PUCs). Ongoing research is concerned with the impacts of PUC decisions on conditions relevant to climate change, the relationship between legislatures and PUCs, and the involvement of interest groups in PUC proceedings. Originally from Southern Illinois, Jared resides with his wife, Carly, and their dog in Providence, RI.