Center on Global Energy Policy

Center on Global Energy Policy Website

Project Overview

This project is a comprehensive enterprise-level website developed for Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP). The platform serves as a central hub for global energy thought leadership, hosting research publications, events, podcasts, multimedia content, and policy analysis.

The primary objective was to build a scalable, high-performance WordPress platform capable of managing large volumes of structured content while remaining intuitive for non-technical editorial teams.

The Challenge

CGEP required more than a standard content website. The platform needed to support complex editorial workflows, advanced filtering, and multiple content formats, all while maintaining performance, accessibility, and institutional-level reliability.

  • Managing a large number of publications, events, podcasts, and multimedia assets
  • Advanced filtering by topic, region, and content type (20+ taxonomies)
  • Editorial-friendly content modeling for research and academic staff
  • High performance despite heavy content and media usage
  • Strict accessibility and usability standards for a global audience
  • Presenting large volumes of academic content in a clear, readable, and user-friendly interface

My Role

I was responsible for the complete WordPress implementation with a strong focus on front-end architecture and content presentation. My role included designing the CMS structure, developing a fully custom theme, implementing flexible content components, and ensuring the interface remains performant, accessible, and maintainable at scale.

Solution & Implementation

The solution was built around a highly structured WordPress architecture using custom post types, taxonomies, and ACF-driven content models. This approach allows CGEP editors to manage complex research content without developer involvement while keeping the system scalable.

Particular care was taken to ensure that complex datasets are presented through clear layouts, consistent UI patterns, and intuitive navigation.

  • Custom WordPress theme aligned with Columbia University branding
  • Custom Post Types for publications, events, podcasts, initiatives, and team members
  • Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) for structured, reusable content blocks
  • Advanced filtering system by topic, region, and content type
  • Podcast platform integration for the “Columbia Energy Exchange” series
  • Events system with registration workflows using Gravity Forms
  • Performance optimizations including lazy loading, optimized media, and caching
  • Fully responsive, mobile-first front-end implementation with accessibility and readability as core principles

Technologies & Tools

  • HTML5 / CSS3 / SASS
  • JavaScript
  • Responsive & Accessible UI implementation
  • WordPress (Custom Theme Development)
  • Advanced Custom Fields (ACF)
  • Custom Post Types & Taxonomies
  • Gravity Forms
  • Performance optimization & caching tools

Outcome

The final platform provides CGEP with a robust, scalable digital presence capable of supporting its global research and policy mission. The website enables efficient editorial workflows, delivers strong performance despite heavy content usage, and supports long-term growth without architectural limitations. Users can efficiently explore complex research content through a clear, performant, and well-structured interface, while editors benefit from a flexible and predictable content system.

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