Dr. Carol Atkinson-Palombo is a Professor in the University of Connecticut’s Department of Geography, and served as the Director of UConn’s Environmental Studies Program from 2017-2022.

Having trained for five years as a National Science Foundation IGERT scholar in Urban Ecology, she has been trained to collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to pursue use-inspired policy-relevant research. She uses geographical techniques such as GIS-based spatial analysis, statistical modelling, and qualitative methods to assess the impact of policies intended to promote sustainable cities. Much of her work to date has focused on transportation sustainability, which shapes a wide array of societal concerns such as air pollution, land use, global climate change, and social and environmental equity.

An emerging area of interest is the ongoing transition to a low carbon economy in the United States, and the debates about what role technology will play in this transition. She is also interested in understanding what factors shape the social acceptance of technology, particularly renewable energy technologies.

She engages in a wide range of service activities for the University, as well as national and international bodies, and has a deep and abiding commitment to equity and diversity.