Education

Yale UniversityMaster of Public Health, Environmental Health Sciences
University of Wisconsin-MadisonBachelor of Science, Biological Systems Engineering
Natural Resources and Environmental Engineering

Experience

City of Durham, North CarolinaInnovation Manager (April 2022-Present)
I lead the City’s Innovation Team (I-Team), which tackles internal continuous improvement projects and community-facing research and innovation projects using principles of human-centered design, behavioral science, research methods, experimentation, and data analysis and evaluation.
Center for Advanced Hindsight,
Duke University
Behavioral Researcher (June 2019-April 2022)
I use principles from behavioral science and human-centered design to develop and run large-scale experiments aimed at influencing people to make more sustainable choices (drive less, compost, recycle).  I create and conduct surveys, interviews, and focus groups and analyze large study results databases.
Triangle J Council of GovernmentsEnergy & Environment Program Analyst (2017-2019)
I calculated the impact of the Triangle-wide Transportation Demand Management program and developed and analyzed biennial regional commuter surveys.  In addition, I created programming for the Clean Cities Coalition, a DOE-funded consortium of professionals dedicated to educating, funding, and improving alternative fuel options in the Triangle.
Yale School of Public Health,
Yale Law School
Teaching Fellow, Career Development Specialist (2016-2019)
YSPH – I helped develop assessments and teaching materials for Master-level students in Principals of Environmental Health class.  YLS – I developed a database of YLS alumni and facilitated regional network opportunities.
California EPA Office of Environmental
Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA)
Climate Change Epidemiology Intern (May-August 2016)
I gathered, processed, and analyzed hospitalization and climate data from state and national databases and built a time-series model to examine the association between temperature and mental health hospitalization outcomes over a 10 year period.  This study was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
Yale Center for Environmental
Law & Policy
Research Assistant (2015-2016)
I analyzed state and municipal solar permitting practices and policies to develop the Environmental Performance Index statewide solar scorecard, aimed at assigning a grade to Connecticut municipalities based on the complexity of residential solar permitting policies.
Hunt Oil CompanyEnvironmental Health & Safety Engineer (2013-2015)
I calculated company-wide annual greenhouse gas emissions in compliance with EPA-mandated annual reporting.  I led an initiative assessing the financial and environmental benefits of implementing water recycling practices in field locations and served as the environmental lead for a NEPA-regulated proposed transmission line project.  In addition, I tracked audited compliance with environmental and safety regulations and permits and directed field safety training.


Publications

Gavin, L., McChesney, J., Tong, A., Sherlock, J., Foster, L., & Tomsa, S. (2022). “Fighting the Spread of COVID-19 Misinformation in Kyrgyzstan, India, and the United States: How Replicable Are Accuracy Nudge Interventions?” Technology, Mind, and Behavior3(3: Autumn). https://doi.org/10.1037/tmb0000086

Whillans, A., Sherlock, J., Roberts, J., O’Flaherty, S., Gavin, L., Dykstra, H., Daly, M. (2021) “Nudging the Commute: Using Behaviorally-Informed Interventions to Promote Sustainable Transportation.” Behavioral Science & Policy 7, no. 2 (2021): 27–49.

Wang, E. Y., Zafar, J. E., Lawrence, C. M., Gavin, L. F., Mishra, S., Boateng, A., Thiel, C. L., Dubrow, R., & Sherman, J. D. (2021). “Environmental emissions reduction of a preoperative evaluation center utilizing telehealth screening and standardized preoperative testing guidelines.” Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 171, 105652. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2021.105652

Basu, R., Gavin, L., Pearson, D., Ebisu, K., Malig, B. (2018). “Examining the Association Between Temperature and Emergency Room Visits from Mental Health-Related Outcomes in California.” American Journal of Epidemiology, Apr 1;187(4):726-735. https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwx295


Skills

ProgrammingR
SAS
Matlab
SoftwareMicrosoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint)
NVivo
AutoCAD
HydroCAD
Adobe InDesign
LanguageConversational Spanish

Activities, Awards, Continuing Education

2021 Politics and Public Policy Theory Course – UNC School of Public Policy Doctorate Program

Association of Commuter Transportation (ACT) – 40 Under 40 Award recipient (2020)

Environmental Advisory Board Member, Town of Carrboro (2018-2020)

ACT Excellence in Research Award (2019)

Engaging Local Government Leaders (ELGL) Member (2017-Present)

YSPH Climate Change Health Practicum – Led economic and environmental impact analysis in YNH Hospital (2017)

2014 Dale Carnegie Course – Effective Communication & Skills for Success, Outstanding Performance Award