Project Team
Tony G. Reames – Founder, Faculty Co-Director
Tony G. Reames is the Tishman Professor of Environmental Justice in the School for Environment and Sustainability and director of the SEAS Detroit Sustainability Clinic and the Urban Energy Justice Lab. Dr. Reames’ research investigates the fair and equitable access to affordable, reliable, clean energy, and explores the production and persistence of energy disparities across race, class, and place. He has a PhD in public administration from The University of Kansas, a Masters in engineering management from Kansas State University, and a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from North Carolina A&T State University. He is a licensed professional engineer (PE) and has worked in both the public and private sectors. Reames is a US Army veteran, reaching the rank of Captain. Reames was appointed by President Biden to serve in the US Department of Energy (2021-2023). He was also appointed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer to the Michigan Advisory Council on Environmental Justice.
Justin Schott – Director
Justin Schott serves as Project Manager of the Energy Equity Project. Prior to coming to EEP, Schott was Executive Director of EcoWorks, a Detroit non-profit, from 2015-2020. He is an avid social entrepreneur and a recognized sustainability leader in Detroit. Prior to becoming Executive Director, Schott designed and managed the launch and operations of numerous community programs, including the Youth Energy Squad (founder), which grew from a summer pilot employing four students in 2009 to a city‐wide partnership with Detroit Public Schools Community District. Schott has also worked closely on the creation of utility programs, including the Home Energy Consultation Program, which provided in‐home energy efficient installations and education to 10,500 households in its first 7 months. Schott has chaired the Coalition to Keep Michigan Warm and is a member of steering committees of the Detroit Environmental Agenda; Housing, Health and Heatwaves project; and Southeast Michigan Stewardship Coalition. Most recently, he is project manager of the Detroit Climate Strategy and architect of Net Zero For All, Starting Today (F.A.S.T.), an initiative to eliminate climate pollution in SE MI while keeping equity and justice front and center.
Kyle Whyte – Faculty Co-Director
Kyle Whyte is George Willis Pack Professor of Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan, teaching in the environmental justice specialization. His research addresses environmental justice, focusing on moral and political issues concerning climate policy and Indigenous peoples, the ethics of cooperative relationships between Indigenous peoples and science organizations, and problems of Indigenous justice in public and academic discussions of food sovereignty, environmental justice, and the anthropocene. He is an enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. Kyle currently serves on the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council, the Management Committee of the Michigan
Environmental Justice Coalition, and the Board of Directors of the Pesticide Action Network North America. He has served as an author for the U.S. Global Change Research Program, including on the National Climate Assessment, and for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Working Group II. He is a former member of the Advisory Committee on Climate Change and Natural Resource Science in the U.S. Department of Interior and of two environmental justice work groups convened by past state governors of Michigan.
Tyler LaBerge – Strategic Projects Coordinator
Tyler LaBerge focuses on strategic visioning, improving public access of EEP tools and resources, storytelling and evaluation of past and current projects, and improving frontline partner outreach and support. She supported EEP’s work on the CO PUC equity framework, leading the guiding principle design process. She holds a MS from the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability specializing in Environmental Justice and a BA from Washington University in St. Louis in Environmental Policy and Economics. She is particularly interested in the intersection of public health and environmental justice, and in building power in frontline communities. She worked as a storyteller for the Tishman Center for Social Justice and the Environment, as a Senior Energy Analyst for the international consulting firm, ICF, and as Sustainability Coordinator for St. Louis Composting, expanding food waste composting in the St. Louis region. She is an avid climber, cellist, hiker, and indoor plant propagator. She lives in Denver with her husband and dog.
Rahul Agrawal Bejarano – Lead Data Scientist
Rahul Agrawal Bejarano is Lead Data Scientist at the Energy Equity Project where he bridges technical data science with regulatory policy to advance energy justice. He holds an MS in Sustainable Systems and a BSE in Computer Science from the University of Michigan. At the Energy Equity Project, Rahul designs and maintains data pipelines that evaluate energy affordability and insecurity and identify vulnerable populations across the United States. His analyses directly inform utility regulation—he has contributed equity and justice evaluations for testimony before Utility Service Commissions. Through surveys and engagement with 100+ practitioners, regulators, community members, utilities, and philanthropists, he translates complex socioeconomic, health, and energy data into actionable insights that shape policy decisions. Rahul builds end-to-end data solutions—from automated pipelines and APIs to GIS mapping and interactive visualization platforms. His work sits at the intersection of technical innovation and public policy, making environmental, energy, and equity data accessible and actionable for researchers, regulators, and communities.
