Graduate Archer Fellowship Program Alumni Profiles
David Wogan
Summer 2010 Graduate Archer Fellow
Internship: White House Council on Environmental Quality
Education
The University of Texas at Austin
B.S. in mechanical engineering; December 2006
M.P.Aff./M.S. in mechanical engineering; December 2010
University Paris Nanterre
Ph.D. in energy economics; January 2021
Archer Center Engagement
Archer Center Trustee
Career
Assistant Vice President at Asia Pacific Energy Research Centre (APERC) in Tokyo, Japan
Associate Editor at Renewable Energy Focus - previous
Research Associate at King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center - previous
Contributor to Scientific American - previous
Summer 2010 Graduate Archer Fellow
Internship: White House Council on Environmental Quality
Education
The University of Texas at Austin
B.S. in mechanical engineering; December 2006
M.P.Aff./M.S. in mechanical engineering; December 2010
University Paris Nanterre
Ph.D. in energy economics; January 2021
Archer Center Engagement
Archer Center Trustee
Career
Assistant Vice President at Asia Pacific Energy Research Centre (APERC) in Tokyo, Japan
Associate Editor at Renewable Energy Focus - previous
Research Associate at King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center - previous
Contributor to Scientific American - previous
“I value the opportunity I was given to work in a real policy setting where I actively applied my skills to issues I deeply cared about. It was one thing to talk about issues in a classroom, but another to practice making policy."
Q & A with David
Please give us a snapshot of your current position.
I lead the flagship publication on energy demand and supply for the 21 member economies of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. I have a great team of international researchers bringing diverse backgrounds to quantitatively and qualitatively assess future energy trends. I am fortunate to collaborate with a range of international organizations including the United Nations and Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
What has been your general career path?
I think my path is one of iterations and risk taking. I have been based outside the United States since 2014. In graduate school I had a strong interest in policymaking at the federal level. By the time I graduated, my interest had shifted to the city level, where I could see how policies from the federal level were implemented on the ground. I always had a desire to learn about other countries and to travel the world, so I took a big risk and left my job at the City of Austin and moved to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In hindsight, it is easy to say it has paid off. While in Saudi Arabia, I developed both personally and professionally and eventually moved again to Tokyo, Japan. I expect I will continue this process of learning, trying to improve, and taking on bigger risks.
How has being an Archer Fellow influenced your professional path and goals?
As an Archer Fellow I learned that we do not have perfect foresight about our career paths. The relationships and experiences in your past can prepare us for the future. I still draw on a network of peers from my time as an Archer Fellow, even in Tokyo, Japan!
What do you value the most about your experience as an Archer Fellow?
I value the opportunity I was given to work in a real policy setting where I actively applied my skills to issues I deeply cared about. It was one thing to talk about issues in a classroom, but another to practice making policy.
What was the most important thing you learned as an Archer Fellow?
As an Archer Fellow I learned that the relationships you develop are critical to the policymaking process. Policies can be made or broken based on the relationships of the people involved. It is a reminder that public policy is ultimately about people.
What do you value the most about being an Archer Alumnus?
I love being part of a group of driven and passionate peers. In graduate school we tend to become even more focused in a specific subject, so having the opportunity to learn from the experiences of others in different fields is refreshing and rewarding.
What is your favorite memory from the program?
I might be biased, but I will say the dual degree program between public affairs and engineering. I feel there is a pressing need to foster dialogue between those in the STEM fields with policymakers. Policymakers can learn from the technical experts, while technical experts can better understand the societal impacts and constraints facing many public policy issues.
Do you have advice for prospective students?
Do it! I still look back fondly on my summer in Washington, D.C. The experiences I had and learned from professionally during my internship, in the classroom at the Archer Center, and with my cohort, I carry with me to this day.
Please give us a snapshot of your current position.
I lead the flagship publication on energy demand and supply for the 21 member economies of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. I have a great team of international researchers bringing diverse backgrounds to quantitatively and qualitatively assess future energy trends. I am fortunate to collaborate with a range of international organizations including the United Nations and Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
What has been your general career path?
I think my path is one of iterations and risk taking. I have been based outside the United States since 2014. In graduate school I had a strong interest in policymaking at the federal level. By the time I graduated, my interest had shifted to the city level, where I could see how policies from the federal level were implemented on the ground. I always had a desire to learn about other countries and to travel the world, so I took a big risk and left my job at the City of Austin and moved to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In hindsight, it is easy to say it has paid off. While in Saudi Arabia, I developed both personally and professionally and eventually moved again to Tokyo, Japan. I expect I will continue this process of learning, trying to improve, and taking on bigger risks.
How has being an Archer Fellow influenced your professional path and goals?
As an Archer Fellow I learned that we do not have perfect foresight about our career paths. The relationships and experiences in your past can prepare us for the future. I still draw on a network of peers from my time as an Archer Fellow, even in Tokyo, Japan!
What do you value the most about your experience as an Archer Fellow?
I value the opportunity I was given to work in a real policy setting where I actively applied my skills to issues I deeply cared about. It was one thing to talk about issues in a classroom, but another to practice making policy.
What was the most important thing you learned as an Archer Fellow?
As an Archer Fellow I learned that the relationships you develop are critical to the policymaking process. Policies can be made or broken based on the relationships of the people involved. It is a reminder that public policy is ultimately about people.
What do you value the most about being an Archer Alumnus?
I love being part of a group of driven and passionate peers. In graduate school we tend to become even more focused in a specific subject, so having the opportunity to learn from the experiences of others in different fields is refreshing and rewarding.
What is your favorite memory from the program?
I might be biased, but I will say the dual degree program between public affairs and engineering. I feel there is a pressing need to foster dialogue between those in the STEM fields with policymakers. Policymakers can learn from the technical experts, while technical experts can better understand the societal impacts and constraints facing many public policy issues.
Do you have advice for prospective students?
Do it! I still look back fondly on my summer in Washington, D.C. The experiences I had and learned from professionally during my internship, in the classroom at the Archer Center, and with my cohort, I carry with me to this day.
