Harold Rickenbacker

Harold is an Environmental Engineer in the Office of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ), at the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Harold works as a technical expert on EPA’s Ports Initiative working to reduce diesel pollution at ports and associated health impacts near port communities. Prior to EPA, Harold held the role of Clean Air and Innovation Manager at Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), where he focused on developing sustainability strategies to identify and demonstrate the value of hyperlocal data. By engaging with stakeholders across many sectors, he helped to catalyze and demonstrate the business models, and partnerships needed to accelerate action to reduce air pollution exposure in disadvantaged communities.

In addition to his involvement at Earthwatch, Dr. Rickenbacker has served on the Boards of the Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP) and Black Millennials for Flint (BM4F). He was acknowledged recently for his career’s work by Green Biz in their sixth class of 30 under 30 honorees, and by Climate Action Campaign as a Young, Gifted, & Green 40 Under 40 honoree. He holds a BS in Civil Engineering Technology from South Carolina State University and a Ph.D. in Civil & Environmental Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. Harold is originally from Orangeburg, SC, but currently resides in Washington, DC.