Liz Gill BA'17, Featured Graduate | Willamette University

Meet Liz Gill BA'17

Liz Gill BA’17 is putting people first to address climate change, using her problem-solving Willamette education to ensure everyone shares in the benefits of the green energy revolution.

Energy policy with people at the center

As an energy policy advisor in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Liz Gill BA'17 has a passion for putting people at the center of highly-technical conversations around clean energy. From water conservation to expanding access to solar panels, Gill says Willamette University taught her how to harness creative solutions to address the impacts of climate change.

Gill is no stranger to government service. Her senior year, she served as president of the Associated Students of Willamette University, which she still calls the best job she’s ever had. She also developed a passion for public service as a leader on Take a Break service trips, which took her across the Pacific Northwest to work on issues like food justice and invasive species removal.

A politics major with a double minor in economics and environmental science, Gill credits an environmental history course with introducing her to the environmental justice movement. This people-centered approach to the environment inspired Gill to pursue a Masters in Environmental Policy at the University of Oxford. She then embarked on a career in the U.S. federal government, working on issues like water reclamation and the implementation of green technologies.

Learn more the Associated Students of Willamette University

“I am fascinated by how energy systems interact with humans and how we make sure that all communities can benefit from the energy transition,” Gill said. “I found that at Willamette and that has been the thrust of my energy career so far.”

Gill found that her Willamette education gave her an edge in complex policy conversations. She learned to consider the broader social and political implications of decisions, a skill she says is crucial to working in a field like energy policy.

“You don’t have to be the analyst, but if you can understand what the analyst is doing, critique it, and be able to put it in context — that’s really helpful,” Gill said.

Gill’s work is constantly putting her in rooms with experts from a variety of technical fields, from material scientists to engineers. Willamette prepared her to navigate those high-stakes conversations with confidence.

“Willamette teaches you to be a chameleon. You can fill a lot of different types of roles,” Gill says. “I feel like I could walk into whatever job and figure out a way to be valuable. You can’t undersell that.”

Now she’s working to implement Solar For All, a $27 billion dollar federal program designed to help put solar power in reach for low-income families. She hopes that Willamette students will continue to choose rewarding career paths in government like she did.

“I still think the smartest, most get-it-done, most entrepreneurial people I’ve ever met were from my time at Willamette,” Gill said. “We need more people like Willamette people out there, doing the good work.”

Mulitdisciplinary Education

A Foundation for Success

In her undergraduate program at Willamette, Liz Gill was able to weave together a perfect blend of coursework that established the foundation which inspired her to pursue a Masters in Environmental Policy at the University of Oxford – and then on to an influential career in the U.S. federal government at the EPA.

Politics

Environmental Science

Economics