Surabhi Shah

Surabhi Shah is a Digital Service for the Planet Fellow. At the Environmental Policy Innovation Center (EPIC), she is a Senior Fellow for Water Data Policy. She joined the EPIC in 2026 after three decades of service in state, federal, and international roles focused on accelerating the adoption of new science, research, data, and technology to improve our environments and communities—most recently in senior executive and technical roles in the federal government. At EPA and the State of North Carolina, Surabhi advised Congress and the White House, negotiated interagency funding deals, briefed top government leaders, and engaged wide-ranging audiences as an educator, spokesperson, panelist, and keynote speaker. She has worked across five presidential administrations, collaborating with political appointees and career officials alike. At EPIC, Surabhi works alongside other water sector leaders to drive water policy improvements through partnerships. The Partnership for Public Service awarded Surabhi the Service to America Medal for "most admirable contribution to the American people" in recognition of her leadership launching and leading a public-private partnership that united her team of over five hundred experts from twenty-five government agencies, NGOs, and private sector funders with heroic community leaders. Together, they mobilized millions of dollars to transform degraded waterways and forgotten neighborhoods into treasured community centerpieces. She’s also been recognized for catalyzing innovation in the restoration of watersheds and estuaries, GIS-driven drinking water source protection, groundwater and soil remediation technologies, equitable community revitalization, and cumulative impacts and community engagement. She holds degrees in systems design engineering (BS) and civil engineering (MS).