Taylor Davey

Visiting Assistant Professor in Environmental Policy and Politics, Environmental Studies Program (PhD, Harvard University, 2024; MA, Harvard University, 2019; MArch, University of Waterloo, 2016; BAS, University of Waterloo, 2014)

Taylor earned her PhD from Harvard University in 2024 before joining Colgate as a Visiting Assistant Professor. She was formerly an Adjunct Lecturer at Northeastern University in the Graduate School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs, where she taught courses on urban history, planning theory, and climate action. 

Taylor's research examines the relationship between science, policy, and politics in urban transition planning. Her dissertation explored the development of new accounting and forecasting tools used to institutionalize a carbon lens in planning and policy. This research focused on the socio-material assumptions and political tensions of such projects, arguing that narrow interpretations of carbon measurement as the means of practicing "science-based policy" misrepresents the socio-economic and ecological complexities of energy transitions and undervalues the importance of political choice in shaping just energy futures. Her other research interests include food system studies, global energy planning, and the metabolic politics of urban waste systems. 

In her free time, Taylor enjoys exploring Upstate NY with her rescue dog, Zelda, who is always on the lookout for new dog friends.