RA Program — Applied Economics Clinic

Research/Communications Assistant Internship Program

Research Assistants (RAs) are current graduate students or exceptional undergraduate students studying economics, energy, or an environmental-related field. RAs assist our team by summarizing written materials, collecting data, managing research databases, writing policy memos, and assisting with other research and analysis tasks as needed. The Communications Assistant (CA) is a graduate student studying media, communications, public relations, or a related media field. CAs assist with updating the AEC website and social media accounts, managing project databases, posting blog pieces, writing blog pieces, and drafting our monthly newsletter.

Current Research Assistants

Ximena Aristizabal, PhD student in Economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst

Ximena Aristizabal is a climate policy and environmental engineering expert currently pursuing a PhD in Economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. With a Master of Engineering in Environmental and Water Resource Systems from Cornell University and a postgraduate degree in Planning and Management of Regional Development, she brings interdisciplinary expertise to her endeavors. Her academic journey began with a bachelor’s degree in Sanitary and Environmental Engineering in Colombia.

Ms. Aristizabal has spearheaded initiatives in carbon pricing, emissions trading systems, and sustainability strategies across Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Her most recent professional role was a senior position at the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), where she directed multi-country programs on carbon finance transactions and designed high-level policy frameworks. Previously in Mexico, she coordinated a national partnership for the World Bank and served as a National Technical Advisor for Germany’s GIZ, focusing on emissions trading scheme design, capacity building, and carbon policy implementation.

Ms. Aristizabal remains dedicated to advancing climate action, and to promoting the autonomous, historically contextualized development of the Global South within a framework of environmental equity and justice. She integrates these priorities into her current academic and research pursuits.