Ranging from local to global scales, this panel expmines the applications and impacts of public policy. Four nuanced experiences come together to investigate the winners and losers of development. Each panelist takes their own route to explore a topic in response to a broader challenge. One presentation focuses on the application of Massachusetts' Large Building Energy Reporting Law, linking the energy transition to the day-to-day experience of those working in the energy sector. Moving northeast to Maine, another panelist explores the different approaches to affordable housing in certain towns of the state. The third shares their mixed-methods research on the relationship between international sanctions and income inequality, describing the repercussions of these widely-accepted policy tools. The final panelist will use a facilitation and mediation approach as a guiding tool to explore sustainable solutions within sectors like solar, wind, energy, and international safeguarding efforts.

Moderator: Lydia Malone, Director of Leadership and Public Service Associate Director, Weissman Center for Leadership

Presenters:

• Imari Williams '26 International Relations/Asian Studies
• Margaret Ojut '26 Economics
• Gabi Mello '26 Environmental Studies/Development Nexus
• Liliana Stinson '27 International Relations/Italian and Classical Studies