In researching one of the world’s biggest current challenges—the climate crisis—Peri Brimley brings an inquisitive mindset honed by her time at the Sorenson Impact Institute and driven by her desire to fight for a better future. Now a fourth-year PhD economics student at the University of Wyoming, Peri runs field and lab experiments that examine the efficacy of wildfire management and related policy implementation.
Working at the intersection of economics and environmental policy allows Peri to address one of the concerns that keeps her up at night. “The most I can do is work diligently to try to play my part in mitigating the damage that’s already occurring,” she says.
As a late-stage graduate student, Peri’s roles include working as a research assistant for professors and conducting research for her dissertation. It’s the latest step in her education, which includes a BS in Economics and Political Science from the University of Utah in 2020 and an MS in Economics from the University of Wyoming in 2023. During her undergraduate years, she worked as a medical assistant for University of Utah Health, a legal assistant at a firm in Salt Lake City, and a research intern at the Sorenson Impact Institute. After earning her bachelor’s degree, she worked full-time at the Institute until starting graduate school in August 2021.
In this Q&A, Peri shares how her experience at the Institute influenced her path and continues to shape her research.
In reflecting on your experience at the Institute, what were some of the biggest lessons? What is your greatest takeaway?
I thought about this question for a long time, primarily because there are so many things I learned at Sorenson that still play a part in my work today. I suppose the most valuable lesson I learned during my tenure is how to be a researcher. The role of a researcher often sounds simple—think of a question, design a way to investigate said question, report your findings—and yet it’s so much easier said than done. What makes a question worth asking? How do you go about answering one in the most effective way possible?
Sorenson helped me define a framework with which I could approach research on my own in a way that didn’t feel so insurmountable. Further, in doing so, Sorenson helped define who I was as a researcher and gave me the confidence to speak up in spaces where I thought my voice mattered little. My greatest takeaway from my time at Sorenson is to always question whether something is working. In the best, and rarest, of cases, the policy that’s in place is serving everyone exactly how it’s supposed to. In the much more realistic case, in asking ‘Why?’ you’ll uncover how a system could be made better, more effective, and more equitable.
How did your work at Sorenson Impact Institute prepare you for your current position?
I often credit my time at Sorenson as the one thing that really convinced me to go to graduate school. Many professionals will tell you that you should not go to graduate school, especially for a PhD, unless you truly cannot see yourself anywhere else. This is absolutely true. Graduate school is difficult not only because of the workload and intellectual rigor but also because it forces you to consider what you want to know about the world and how to discover it.
I am exceedingly fortunate to have gone into such an experience with a bounty of questions in mind, most of which developed during my time at Sorenson. There are few places that give undergraduates the time, space, and responsibility to learn about the real workings of the world and what role they want to play in them. Sorenson allows its researchers to be wholly involved in the pursuit of problem-solving that is so often out of reach for young people, and I couldn’t be more grateful for my time there.
Can you tell us about a project you’ve recently worked on? Why are you excited about this project?
I’m currently working on a project in collaboration with the National Science Foundation looking at wildfire management on federal public lands in the United States. The project involves surveying individuals across the nation to understand how risk preferences for different types of wildfire management practices—preventative versus suppressive—differ between the public and wildfire managers. I’m particularly excited about this project because in collaborating with a federal agency we have a throughline to provide policy guidance to federal wildfire managers that can be used to better align current practice with public preferences and perceptions of action.
What advice would you give to someone interested in pursuing a career in impact?
Be vigilant about who, and what, you’re working for. The world is full of companies that use the label of “impact” as a marketing tool. If something seems too easy or too good to be true, it probably is. Working in impact is grueling and often riddled with red tape. But the work is important, and there are so many good people who are grinding along right beside you.
What keeps you inspired in your work?
Oh man, is it too corny to say everything and everyone? I love this world and the people in it. As a fledgling student, I was told that time would kill my “I want to save the world” attitude. It hasn’t yet! Every time I feel like the fight is futile, I remember how hard-earned policies—like the Affordable Care Act—defined where I am now. The world is filled with incredibly good people fighting for a good world. That inspires me more than anything else.
What is one pressing issue that you hope to see solved within the course of your career? How can the impact field come together to solve this issue at scale?
Climate change. The threat that climate change poses to our most vulnerable populations keeps me up at night, and the most I can do is work diligently to try to play my part in mitigating the damage that’s already occurring. That fight is scarier now, with mis- and disinformation at an all-time high. Regardless, many fields—like energy production—are already moving toward cleaner alternatives that will ideally help slow the effect of anthropogenic climate change. The impact field has a huge part to play in that, by promoting policies and actions that encourage the transition to clean energy and greenhouse gas reduction.
Interested in learning more about the Sorenson Impact Institute’s student program? Explore internships and opportunities here.
