Dr. Brandon Hunter

Brandon Hunter is an environmental research scientist and an infrastructure design engineer who provides technical assistance and strategy development in partnership with frontline groups to advance community-led efforts to protect health, the environment, and local power. Hunter works in a variety of technical contexts, such as interpreting data and regulations, conducting scientific research, developing technical tools, supporting litigation, investigating engineering infrastructure processes and design, and supporting policy efforts to build the capacities of communities to better execute their own advocacy strategies. He works in both domestic and international contexts and has authored multiple peer-reviewed manuscripts on various community-based science and engineering innovations, investigations, frameworks, and themes.

Hunter serves on NRDC’s Science Advisory Board and NRDC’s Southeast Regional Impact Council. He also holds appointments as an affiliate researcher at Duke University and as a climate resilience fellow at the Center for Developing Leadership in Science at UCLA. Hunter earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Florida and a master’s degree and doctoral degree in environmental engineering with specialization in sanitation infrastructure from Duke University. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in earth and environmental engineering at Columbia University and holds a certificate in college teaching from Duke University. He is also a registered licensed civil, water resources, and environmental professional engineer. Hunter is based in NRDC’s Washington, D.C., office.