Stewards Magazine

An internship in the Office of Environmental Justice at the White House Council on Environmental Quality helped Megan Husted (MS ’23) see how the government can effect change. Now, she’s creating her own impact as special assistant in the Office of Electricity at the Department of Energy.

Husted supports the Office of Electricity in its goal of “strengthening and modernizing the nation’s power grid,” which allows her to work at the intersection of policy and clean energy.

“I’m learning so much because this is my first time working with engineers and experts who are building the technology that will be deployed someday,” she says. “Being able to contribute to the Office of Electricity’s goal of providing affordable, secure and resilient energy is exciting.”

Though Husted never thought she would work for the government growing up, she says the Biden-Harris administration’s climate and environmental justice investments align with her values and served as a “big driver” in applying for her position.

An Environmental Policy and Planning and Environmental Justice student at SEAS, Husted learned how to use policy as a tool to achieve EJ outcomes. She credits SEAS with helping to shape her career path and giving her the foundation to be successful and confident.

“I learned to think critically about policy and implementation, especially through the lens of EJ issues and how to alleviate or address them,” she says. “A sustainable future involving a transition to clean energy can’t be achieved without centering environmental justice communities.”