Growing up never too far away from the water in Miami, FL, Robert spent most of his time outside. Days were spent canoeing past the tangled roots of mangrove forests, scuba diving colorful coral reefs, or hiking overgrown trails around limestone sinkholes. He loves being outside. His passion for the natural world was fueled by his parents, both environmental scientists. From them he learned how to read ecological interactions and visualize geologic formations. Lessons he is always enthusiastic to share, in his own humorous way, to anyone interested in listening. While pursuing a biology degree at Florida State University, Robert looked for ways to use his interests with the intent to one day make a difference. He volunteered in labs and spent a summer digging hundreds of holes on a farm field in Tallahassee, testing sustainable agriculture practices. But it was not until he spent two sessions interning for a state representative that he got the concrete idea of using applied research in policy to help those around him. Robert graduated from Florida State University with both a B.S in biology and M.S in Applied American Politics and Policy. He did not leave the state capitol however without spending time working in the Florida Senate for an appropriations subcommittee. An experience he feels guided him towards the next steps he wanted to take in his career, working in climate and energy policy. Following his time at the state legislature, Robert worked for a Florida based academic think tank calculating greenhouse. gas emissions and researching net-zero policy initiatives. From there a dream came true when he received the opportunity to move to Washington D.C. to work for a company researching and analyzing energy and environmental policies prior to joining Third Way. When he's not working, Robert enjoys hanging out with his cat, paddle boarding, cooking, and trying to convince, friends to join him on his next spontaneous national park trip.