Hailey Nichols Assistant in Research Hailey Nichols is an undergraduate senior from the metro Detroit area pursuing a double major in Economics and Communication & Media Studies. She is passionate about supporting small businesses, creating accessible economic solutions, and making a difference in her community. Hailey is excited to join the [read more]
Mathew Appel Research Associate Matthew is a third-year student at Michigan Law School. He is primarily interested in energy law, and has previously worked on renewable energy property tax issues with the Graham Sustainability Institute. In his spare time, he enjoys running and hiking.
Christine Sit Research Associate Christine Sit is a current Master's student in Environmental Policy and Planning. Her background is in plant research, communications, and conservation. She is excited to join the Economic Growth Institute and support local, underserved communities in ways that are meaningful and impactful to them. [read more]
Annie Lively Research Associate Annie Lively is in her final year of graduate studies, pursuing a dual degree in Urban and Regional Planning and Global Social Work. In these programs, Annie is focused on understanding how migration patterns impact urbanization and the community-level social, economic, and spatial opportunities that relate to [read more]
Sergio Lozano Research Associate Sergio Lozano is a graduate student pursuing a Master of Public Policy at the Ford School of Public Policy. He earned his B.A. in economics from the Monterrey Institute of Technology. He has dedicated much of his career to the public sector, particularly within the local government [read more]
Emily Aiken, Ph.D. Senior Project Manager Email: [email protected] Phone: (734) 763-4375 Emily Aiken is a senior project manager working with EGI’s research programs. As an experienced practitioner in community engagement with a focus on qualitative research, Emily supports research on economic and workforce development programs. In addition to leading the [read more]
Mengjie Lyu, PhD Senior Research Project Manager Email: [email protected] Mengjie Lyu is a research project senior manager contributing to EGI’s empirical and applied research projects. Using both quantitative and qualitative research approaches, Mengjie leads and supports multiple studies, collaborating closely with EGI partners and U-M faculty on a diverse range [read more]
Jessi Kittel, MS Workforce Development Lead Email: [email protected] Connect with Jessi on LinkedIn In her dual roles at the Economic Growth Institute and the Electric Vehicles Center, Jessi Kittel leads strategic initiatives within Workforce Development and Education, focusing on building a talent pipeline for the burgeoning electric vehicle industry. Jessi [read more]
Sarah Gorman Research Associate Sarah Gorman is a graduate student currently pursuing a Master of Science in Sustainable Systems and a certificate in Industrial Ecology for Environment and Sustainability. Having completed her undergraduate degrees in Environmental Earth Science and Sustainability at Miami University, she conducted research on the impacts of legacy pollution. [read more]
Benjamen Spisak Project Manager Email: [email protected] Benjamen Spisak is a Project Manager working with the EGI's business and industry programs. As an experienced trusted advisor and manufacturing advocate, Ben helps manufacturing leaders identify new opportunities for innovation. Through his work at EGI, he supports business leaders across Michigan. He helps connect [read more]
