Sara Parkison named a finalist for the 2022 Knauss Fellowship program

Sara Parkison’s doctoral work at UD focuses on different parts of the energy sector

Sara Parkison, a doctoral candidate at the University of Delaware’s School of Marine Science and Policy, has been selected as a finalist for the 2022 John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Program. Parkison was nominated for the Knauss Fellowship by Delaware Sea Grant.

Sponsored by the National Sea Grant College Program and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Knauss Fellowship provides a one-of-a-kind educational experience for students interested in the national policy decisions that affect ocean, coastal and lake resources.

Parkison’s doctoral work at UD focuses on different parts of the energy sector and with her adviser, Willet Kempton, professor in the School of Marine Science and Policy, she studies everything from electric vehicles being used to provide back-up energy to the grid to offshore wind deployment.

“The nexus of my work is that I focus on energy policy and energy transitions,” said Parkison. “Essentially, the policies that relate to power sector transitions away from fossil fuel dependency. That’s what I’ve been working on with Dr. Kempton for four years now.”

The Knauss Fellowship will give Parkison an opportunity to explore how policies are created and implemented, as well as allow her to see how those policies are shaped by input from different stakeholder groups.

“I’m fascinated by the negotiation aspect of the policy process, and I am excited about the opportunity to work on the other side of it, taking in all of the perspectives to find the overlap between different actors and figure out how to push a scientifically-based policy forward through reasonable compromises,” said Parkison.

This work will align closely with her dissertation, which is focused on tracking the evolution of policies related to emerging energy technology deployment. Specifically, how these policies are initiated, how they develop, and what their final outputs mean for the technologies’ successful diffusion. Part of studying the policy development includes examining how multiple actors interpret a policy and how they think it should be implemented, where everyone is trying to shape it with their different interests and priorities in mind. 

Being so involved in the energy sector in academia is not what Parkison originally had in mind when she applied to UD. In fact, she applied with the intention of researching the relationships between fisheries economics and offshore wind.

When she met with Kempton, however, he helped cultivate in her an interest that focused more on energy policy and build upon her interest in offshore wind energy.

“He had a position working on Vehicle-to-Grid technology, and he gave me a good opportunity to marry some of those interests and learn more about the power sector than I had ever learned before,” said Parkison. “It was a steep learning curve—I kind of just dove into the deep end—but I’ve come a long way.”

Now, with the Knauss Fellowship in her future, Parkison is looking forward to diving even deeper and learning more about the relationships between policy and technology in the offshore environment from the governmental side to combine what she learns during her time as a Knauss Fellow with her academic knowledge.

"The Knauss Fellowship offers the opportunity to see the policy process upfront and personal and to engage in the decision-making process, which have critical impacts on how we all live,” said Parkison. “We’re at this pivotal time. New movements are happening, windows are opening, the environment is changing. We’re at a tipping point in a number of different ways, in particular when it comes to the nexus between technology, the environment, and social welfare. Getting to dig in and participate in that process now is an incredible opportunity. It feels like we’re ramping up towards something exciting, sort of a new era, and I can't wait to contribute to the effort."

Article by Adam Thomas