As a multidisciplinary scholar, with degrees in engineering and social science, Associate Professor Reames' research agenda seeks to connect the areas of technological advancement, the policy process, and social equity. His research extends the environmental justice scholarship to focus on energy justice. He is currently exploring disparities in residential energy generation, consumption, and affordability—centering on the production and persistence of inequality by race, class, and place.

Dr. Reames recently took a leave of absence from his responsibilities at SEAS to serve as Principal Deputy Director for State and Community Energy Programs, and Deputy Director for Energy Justice at the U.S. Department of Energy. He led the Office of Energy Justice Policy and Analysis in the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity. In this role, he spearheaded the agency’s plan to implement President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, and was responsible for energy justice policy and analysis to ensure energy investments and benefits reached frontline communities and Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color. He deployed $16 billion in support of energy efficiency measures and clean energy planning, aiding communities that bear the worst impacts of the climate crisis. 

Dr. Reames returned to SEAS in January 2024 as the new director of the SEAS Detroit Sustainability Clinic, and will resume teaching and advising in September.