Galen oversees Climate Tech and Economic Innovation for Miami-Dade County. He advises the county mayor and staff on policies at the intersection of climate change, resilience, economic development, and technology innovation, and serves as a liaison for the business and tech community in pursuit of strategies that build community wealth and resilience through business cycles and climate disruptions. He works to leverage Miami-Dade County’s leadership position to drive the vision of a future-ready economy that shrinks inequality, strengthens the environment, and builds a network of entrepreneurs, investors, businesses, academics, and community leaders who can help establish a hub for innovation and investment in blue, green, and climate technology, ultimately creating a regional economic cluster around the opportunities and challenges presented by climate change. Galen studies climate change impacts, risk perception and policy level decision making with a focus on urban water management and sea level rise in south Florida. In his experimental research, Galen uses an online tool that accelerates participants over time to simulate the experience of future hazard. Through collaboration with partners including agencies and local governments, the aim is to contribute to the effective implementation of sustainable, climate resilient policy. Before coming to the University of Miami, Galen was a research assistant at Columbia University’s Center for Research on Environmental Decisions and Columbia Business School’s Center for Decision Sciences. He received his BA in economics from Oberlin College and is an NSF graduate research fellow.
