James Winebrake

James Winebrake, or Jamie as he is known to faculty and students, joined RIT in 2002 as Chair of the Public Policy Department, following a career spanning positions at James Madison University, the U.S. Department of Energy, and academic study in both policy and the sciences. Jamie is an educator, scientist, and policy analyst working to solve problems in the energy and environmental fields. His research focuses on the integration of technology, environmental quality, and public policy.

Jamie developed his research focus in the 1990s while working for the Department of Energy. During the first Gulf War, the department was advancing research in alternative fuels, and Jamie got involved in alternative fuel vehicle, or AFV, research. The Energy Policy Act of 1992 required linking policy analysis with scientific and technological studies to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign energy sources through, among other means, the development and promotion of AFVs. Jamie maintained his involvement in this area by starting an AFV research lab at James Madison University.

This research focus on energy and environmental problem solving led to Jamie's first sponsored projects as an academic faculty. He produced an informational and educational CD-ROM on the subject of AFVs for the U.S. Department of Energy. Following that, he received a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to conduct a greenhouse gas inventory for the state of Virginia.

Jamie's largest research effort, in monetary terms, developed in serendipitous fashion. While at James Madison, he and his students began working with staff at the nearby Shenandoah National Park. Their projects included such applied research as energy audits for the park facilities and design of a photovoltaic system for a ranger station. These efforts were noticed by the Alliance to Save Energy, a Washington, DC based not-for-profit organization that advocates and promotes energy efficiency. The Alliance promoted Jamie's efforts with the National Parks Service and led to an initial pilot project of $27,000 to build on his students' work in Shenandoah. The pilot in turn led to five further university projects and the University National Parks Energy Partnership Program, which Jamie now leads at RIT.

A second research track Jamie is pursuing involves quantitative modeling and analysis of greenhouse gas emissions. In 2004, he was funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation for the Total Fuel Cycle Analysis of Emissions for Marine Transportation, an effort to model all emissions produced from the initial production to the ultimate use of marine fuels. This kind of systems modeling has never been undertaken for marine transportation. Jamie's proposal was one of six funded by the DOT, selected from sixty-three submissions.
Both of Jamie's projects involve RIT students in applied technology and methods research. These research efforts currently provide tuition and stipend support for two graduate students. "Projects like these are integral to developing the Public Policy program here at RIT," Jamie says, "and I hope they serve to raise the profile of both the program and the university as a whole. In addition, these projects demonstrate an evolution at RIT regarding how our Department and our College fit into the traditional technical research mission of the Institute."

Over the next few years, Jamie hopes to grow the National Parks research and increase the nation's commitment to preserving and enhancing our unique and diverse national parks system. Jamie sees the DOT research as opening the door for further modeling and simulation research, allowing RIT to demonstrate leadership in quantitative policy analysis. He also has been working with other researchers at RIT to develop new initiatives that bring policy analysis and technical expertise together to address problems involving energy and the environment.