Andrea Cristina Ruiz
Climate Resiliency and Environmental Justice Economist
Climate change is both a challenge and an opportunity. As a climate change economist, I’m passionate about developing and leveraging evidence to contribute nuanced understanding of the issues and inform restorative environmental and social policies that enable an equitable, resilient, adaptive, and decarbonized future.
Andrea Cristina (they/them/their) has over ten years’ experience in economic analysis, climate resiliency, climate mitigation, transportation, and environmental justice policy. They have a special interest in evidence-based policy design, especially as it relates to policies to advance decarbonization and prepare communities for the effects of climate change. In their work for governments, communities, and businesses, they thrive on applying their expertise in data analysis, cost-benefit analysis, program evaluation, and econometrics to advance equitable and sustainable economic development. Andrea Cristina is an active member of the Transportation Research Board’s Committee on Extreme Events and Climate Adaptation and the TRB’s Marine Environment Committee. They also serve as a panelist on three National Cooperative Highway Research Program research efforts focused on resilience planning.
Prior to joining ERG, Andrea Cristina held multiple positions with international governments, multilateral organizations, regional and local governments and transportation agencies, academia, think tanks, and NGOs, applying economic analysis to inform policy. Previously, they were the policy manager for Environment, Energy, and Climate Change sector at J-PAL and the senior economic analyst for the Chief Economist Office at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. They also held climate policy and economic analysis positions with the World Bank Group, the World Food Program Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office, the Miami Dade County Office of Resilience, the CLEO Institute in Miami, and the Embassy of Ecuador in Washington D.C.
Andrea Cristina holds an M.P.A. from Columbia University’s School of International Public Affairs and a B.S. in economics from The George Washington University. Outside of work, they enjoy exploring datasets, running, karate, time spent outdoors, and rooting for Ecuador in the world cup. They volunteer with Respond Crisis Translation, a collective supporting immigrants, refugees, and people experiencing language barriers.