Richard A. Benton is the director of the Climate Jobs Institute and an associate professor in the School of Labor and Employment Relations at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. His research interests include corporate governance, social networks, economic sociology, and social stratification. In general, he focuses on the role of social networks in individual and organizational outcomes as well as the dynamics of network change. Mainly, his research stream examines the consequences of network fracturing among U.S. corporate leaders. Much of his research applies advanced models for network dynamics.Lara Skinner is executive director of Climate Jobs Institute at Cornell University. Her research, writing, and labor education work focuses on the intersection of job creation, economic development, and climate protection. She began her career in labor working with Oregon's Farmworkers Union (Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste), the University of Oregon Labor Education and Research Center, and as an active member of the Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation, Local 3544. Skinner has worked for unions doing campaign research and policy development since 1999.
