The Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) is pleased to welcome former White House Special Assistant Avi Zevin and former Heritage Foundation Deputy Director Nick Loris as the 2026-2027 Visiting Fellows in Policy Practice. Zevin and Loris will share their perspectives and expertise in a series of events, workshops, and public discussions, as well as serve as resources for students and EPIC broadly.
“We are delighted to welcome Avi and Nick, whose leadership on climate, energy, and environmental policy has shaped the national dialogue,” says Sam Ori, EPIC’s Executive Director. “As policy fellows they will help us bridge the divide between frontier academic research and policy impact. Their expertise will be an invaluable addition to EPIC’s work exploring how governments can and should balance the need to confront climate change with the imperative to ensure that energy remains reliable and affordable. We look forward to learning from their expertise and engaging the broader UChicago community in these important discussions.”
Avi Zevin
is a partner at Roselle LLP, where he advises businesses, NGOs, and state governments on a wide range of energy-related legal and policy matters, including federal and state electric regulation, energy tax, and federal financial assistance before federal and state agencies, Congress, and the courts. Prior to forming Roselle, Zevin served at the White House as Special Assistant to the President for Clean Energy Implementation, working to advance policies and programs that facilitate the transition to a carbon-free, reliable, and cost-effective energy system. Zevin was a day-one Biden Administration appointee at the United States Department of Energy, where he served as the Principal Deputy General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel for Energy Policy, advising the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Energy and the Department’s senior leadership on legal and policy matters and helping lead all aspects of the Office of General Counsel.
“Given the fastest and arguably most disruptive political and energy systems change in decades, objective, evidence-based analysis remains critically important to address today’s climate and energy challenges,” says Zevin. “EPIC and the University of Chicago have earned a reputation for advancing data-driven research to inform practical, effective policy solutions. I’m excited to join their efforts and share the insights I’ve gained from my time in the White House and at the Department of Energy.”
Nick Loris
is the President at C3 Solutions. Loris studies and writes about a wide range of energy and climate policies, including natural resource extraction, energy subsidies, nuclear energy, renewable power and energy efficiency. He also studies ways in which markets will improve the environment, reduce emissions and better adapt to a changing climate. Before joining C3 Solutions, Loris served as the Deputy Director of the Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies and Herbert and Joyce Morgan Fellow in Energy and Environmental Policy at The Heritage Foundation. He serves as an Energy Fellow at the Abundance Institute, a Senior Policy Fellow at the National Taxpayers Union, and sits on the boards of the American Power Play Institute and the Energy Infrastructure Alliance Forum.
“EPIC has long been at the forefront of the intersection of three issues I’m most passionate about: affordable, dependable energy; a healthier environment for future generations; and well-functioning, competitive markets,” says Loris. “With rigorous research, engaging dialogue, and real opportunities to effect change, I’m honored and humbled to join as an EPIC fellow.