Walsh Kern is a 2025 graduate of Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California. He previously worked as an intern in Washington, D.C., in both the U.S. Senate and the Department of the Interior, where his work primarily focused on renewable energy policy. He developed an interest in Indian politics while working as a research assistant for Professor Aseema Sinha who was studying Indian welfare schemes.
Walsh’s Fulbright-Nehru research project is exploring the question: how are India’s international renewable energy commitments implemented at the subnational level? He is particularly interested in understanding the motivations behind state climate action and examining how policies vary across states. His research is focusing on the state governments of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh to analyze this variation. The aim is to identify the driving forces behind state-level renewable energy policy in order to offer valuable insights into this critical policy landscape. Since renewable energy collaboration is a major component of the U.S.-India relationship, his research will also contribute to a deeper understanding of India’s transition towards green energy.