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Wilder School doctoral alum joins UMich

Gilbert Michaud, Ph.D., an alum of the Wilder School’s doctoral program is a newly appointed research scholar and faculty affiliate at the Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan through their Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP) program.
Gilbert Michaud, Ph.D., an alum of the Wilder School’s doctoral program is a newly appointed research scholar and faculty affiliate at the Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan through their Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP) program.

By Briana Williams 

February 18, 2020

Gilbert Michaud, Ph.D., an alum of the Wilder School’s doctoral program is a newly appointed research scholar and faculty affiliate at the Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan through their Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP) program.

Michaud attended the Wilder School from 2013-2016 and worked alongside Dr. Damian Pitt researching renewable energy policy and planning, earning his Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration.

“We did a lot of applied research together, such as leading a study for a “Solar Stakeholder Group” convened in 2014 by two state agencies in Virginia: The Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Mines, Minerals & Energy,” shared Michaud.  “I’d carved out this niche in doing applied, engaged research as an academic, which is, in part, why I got invited to serve in this role at Michigan.”

Michaud is currently an Assistant Professor of Practice at the George V. Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs at Ohio University. His research focuses on renewable energy policy, electric utilities, and economic and workforce development, and he has led several projects funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Small Business Administration, and American Electric Power, among others.

“Gilbert is doing great work in his primary appointment at Ohio University, and this UM affiliation is a great honor for both him and, by extension, the Wilder School,” said Damian Pitt, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Program Chair of Urban and Regional Studies and Planning at the Wilder School.

Michaud has begun his lectures at the University of Michigan as well as attended meetings with the state energy office in Lansing to talk about clean energy workforce issues. 

“It’s really cool. The Ford School is the #7 public affairs school in the country, and #1 for policy analysis. I am teaching various classes and meeting with folks from the state energy office about clean energy workforce development,” shared Michaud.

Michaud has published numerous academic articles in peer-reviewed journals, is author or co-author of over 80 white paper reports and commentary articles, and has been quoted in several news media outlets, including NPR, Bloomberg Law, S&P Global, and WalletHub.

For more information about the CLOSUP program, visit: http://closup.umich.edu/people/affiliates.php.