Linda Larsen is the Associate Director of Research at the Climate Jobs Institute where she supervises the institute’s research activities. In this role, she assists the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity by providing research and technical assistance to launch the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) workforce programs. Prior to her work at CJI, she was a Program Manager and the Communications and Education Program Director at the University of Illinois Smart Energy Design Assistance Center (SEDAC). At SEDAC, she specialized in clean energy workforce development research and program implementation and led applied research projects to grow the energy efficiency workforce in Illinois.

In her work, Linda takes a holistic approach to climate change. She is passionate about both the transition to a clean energy economy and helping communities become more resilient to the impacts of climate change. Linda has collaborated with scholars at the University of Illinois and elsewhere to publish research on how green infrastructure can create healthier, more resilient communities.

Linda has a particular interest in expanding opportunities for returning residents in the clean energy workforce. An advocate for people who have been incarcerated, she is one of the lead authors of the Education Justice Project reentry guide, Mapping Your Future, which is distributed to tens of thousands of returning residents annually.