Matthew Bright

Matthew Bright has a long history of working in the field of environmental protection. Matthew began their career in 2009 as an Undergraduate Research Assistant for Dr. Ray Weil at the University of Maryland, studying the effect of brassica crops on carbon and nutrient dynamics in nursery soils used for tree propagation. Matthew then worked for the National Park Service as a Biological Science Technician, taking soil physical measurements and samples for chemical analysis in the 11 National Parks of the National Capital Region. In 2011, they began working as a Graduate Research Associate for Dr. Richard Dick at The Ohio State University, examining the agroforestry potential of native shrubs to improve food security in the West African Sahel. In 2017, they became a Postdoctoral Associate at the University of Maryland College Park, analyzing and reporting on the chemical and physical properties of forest soils in the eleven National Park Service units of the National Capital Region Network. In 2018, they joined the U.S. House of Representatives as an AAAS Congressional Policy Fellow, covering the environment, energy, agriculture, and science portfolio for Rep. Cheri Bustos. In 2020, they became a Policy Advisor for Carbon Capture and Industrial Decarbonization at Third Way. In 2021, they joined the Clean Air Task Force as a Policy Manager for Carbon Capture and the Global CCS Institute as a Senior Advocacy & Communications Adviser. Most recently, in 2023, they became the Director of External Affairs for CarbonCapture Inc.

Matthew Bright received their A.A. with honors from Montgomery College in 2006-2008, followed by a B.S. magna cum laude from the University of Maryland in 2008-2011. In 2014, they attended MICROTROP: Advanced Training in Tropical Microbiology, Soil Microbial Ecology and Ecosystem Services. In 2015, they attended the Borlaug Summer Institute on Global Food Security (Purdue University Center For Global Food Security). Finally, they received their Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Environmental Science (Soils) from The Ohio State University in 2011-2017.