May 2024 Alumni Spotlight

Alumnus and Policy Associate at End the Backlog, Mateo Cello talks with us about his special energy insecurity project, his work which aims to end the rape kit backlog, and his MPA experience at Marxe.

Can you tell us about “energy insecurity”, the dashboard you created, and the paper you co-authored on it? What inspired this?
Energy insecurity is defined as the inability to meet basic household energy needs. It can be manifested in different manners, like keeping the home at unsafe temperatures, or being unable to pay your energy bill, among many other ways. I became interested in energy insecurity in a quantitative methods class I took with Professor Sanders Korenman in the Fall semester of 2022, where my final paper was an analysis of energy insecurity and its impacts on mental health. I then made this the topic of my capstone thesis.

While writing my capstone, I connected with two scholars who have done a lot of work studying energy insecurity: Dr. Diana Hernandez of Columbia and Dr. Jennifer Laird of Lehman College. After finishing my capstone they presented me with the opportunity to work with them to develop the Energy Insecurity Dashboard. By relying on data from the Census and the Energy Information Administration, and utilizing maps, bar graphs, and line plots, the dashboard visually represents spatial and temporal patterns of energy insecurity. This helps identify trends and variations across states and over time. It provides users with an interactive platform to explore the nuances of energy insecurity and understand the changing landscape of unmet energy needs.

We used some of the maps from the dashboard as the central pieces for the paper I co-authored called “Visualizing the Spatial Distribution of Energy Insecurity in the United States”. In it, we use choropleth maps to visualize two critical aspects of energy insecurity: households forgoing basic necessities to pay energy bills and maintaining unhealthy home temperatures to prevent energy insecurity.

Working on the dashboard and the paper was an amazing experience. It allowed me to deepen my knowledge on energy insecurity and policy, as well as statistical analysis. It also helped me develop skills in coding and map making.

You work for End the Backlog, which aims to end the rape kit backlog. What is your role there?
My responsibilities as a Policy Associate at End the Backlog can be divided into two categories. The first is legislative advocacy. This involves working with elected officials at the state level to improve the way sexual assault forensic evidence is handled and processed. This includes drafting bills, writing policy memos, and working to get support from other stakeholders in order to help the pieces of legislation we work on become law.

The second category is research. I study rape kit handling laws, see how they are being carried on the ground, and determine if they are being complied with. This involves connecting with specialists, accessing public reports, and presenting my findings in different forms, depending on the audience. What I enjoy most about my job is using my policy analysis skills to improve the way the criminal justice system functions.

What was your MPA experience like at the Marxe School?
My MPA experience at the Marxe School was very enriching. Throughout my time there, I had the opportunity to delve into new policy areas that piqued my interest but were previously unfamiliar to me. This allowed me to broaden my knowledge and explore subjects I was passionate about.

Moreover, the program equipped me with invaluable professional tools and honed my policy analysis skills. I learned how to approach complex issues methodically and critically, which has been instrumental in my career. One of the most rewarding aspects of my MPA journey was the connections I forged with both professors and classmates. The collaborative environment at the Marxe School fostered lasting relationships that continue to be a source of inspiration and professional growth.

Overall, my MPA experience at the Marxe School was a transformative chapter in my academic and personal journey, enabling me to become a more knowledgeable, skilled, and well-connected policy professional.