Dr. Melissa C. Lott is a Professor of Practice at Columbia University’s Climate School. She also serves on the United Nations Council of Engineers for the Energy Transition (CEET), an independent advisory council to the UN Secretary-General. Dr. Lott is also a current member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on the Future of Economics of Equitable Transition. She hosts The Big Switch podcast (a top 40 podcast on the Apple charts), which explains how we can rebuild the energy systems all around us to slow climate change.

Dr. Lott has worked as an engineer and researcher for 20 years in the USA, Europe, and Asia. She works to increase our understanding of the impacts of our energy systems on climate change, air pollution, and public health. She directly applies this understanding to help decision-makers mobilize solutions to support the low-carbon transition. Internationally recognized for her work on electricity and transportation, Dr. Lott has authored hundreds of scientific articles, columns, op-eds, and reports on the energy transition. She was recently featured in the PBS documentary “Chasing Carbon Zero,” and named the 2023 recipient of the AGU Pavel S. Molchanov Climate Communications Prize.

Dr. Lott was previously the Sr. Director of Research at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy. She has also served in roles at the Asia Pacific Energy Research Centre, International Energy Agency, and U.S. Department of Energy. Throughout, she has worked as an engineer at YarCom Inc. Dr. Lott holds degrees from UC Davis, UT Austin, and University College London.