Joel Hicks

CDR (Ret.) Joel Hicks, PhD, received his doctorate in Public Policy from George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government where he also serves as an adjunct professor teaching courses on energy and public policy. He is a former U.S. Naval Officer who served in the submarine warfare community as well as completing multiple assignments in DoD space acquisition and operational communities, including at the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). He obtained his Nuclear Engineer credentials through Naval Reactors, and his last active-duty assignment was as Deputy Director, Joint Space Operations Center (JSpOC), Vandenberg AFB, CA. He was the first U.S. Naval Officer to serve in a joint operational space command.

Joel has taught several graduate courses, including “International Issues in Energy Policy” and “Science, Technology, and Energy Policy” at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs (ESIA). His dissertation “Behavioral Interventions in Energy Consumption” examines aspects of prospect theory applied to energy consumption behavior. He frequently writes about demand side management (DSM) of energy systems with a focus on energy efficiency, behavioral economics, and public sector energy governance/institutions. His formal education includes: MS Electrical Engineering, Naval Postgraduate School, MA National Security and Strategic Studies, Naval War College, MA International Science and Technology Policy and a BS Electrical Engineering, The George Washington University.

Joel currently lives in Carlisle, PA. In 2019, he successfully ran for a seat on the Carlisle Borough Council for a four-year term and was selected as Chair, Climate Action Commission for Carlisle Borough. He has given multiple conference presentations, written book chapters, and published papers on a wide range of energy and space related topics while also serving as a reviewer on a variety of peer-reviewed journals.