The Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP) at Columbia University announced today that Dr. Jessika Trancik will be joining Columbia University’s Visiting Faculty Program. CGEP awards Visiting Faculty positions to scholars and experts who focus on one of several core research areas at CGEP, including renewable energy, oil and natural gas, geopolitics, energy markets and finance, climate change and the environment, as well as technology and innovation.
Dr. Trancik is currently a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where she researches the costs, performance, and environmental impacts of energy systems to inform innovation and climate policy. At MIT’s Institute for Data, Systems, and Society, her work spans solar energy, wind energy, energy storage, low-carbon fuels, electric vehicles, and nuclear fission among other technologies.
“One of the biggest challenges to decarbonizing our grid and ramping up renewables is generating fast and accurate data for policymakers at the local, state, and federal levels,” said Jason Bordoff, Founding Director of CGEP and Co-Founding Dean at the Columbia Climate School. “I’m delighted to welcome Jessika and her critical expertise to the Visiting Faculty program at CGEP.”
By inviting academic scholars from external institutions, the program aims to foster interdisciplinary research and understanding about key global energy and climate issues. Faculty are invited to participate in the program by the Academic Steering Committee, chaired by Dr. Geoffrey M. Heal, Donald C. Waite III Professor of Social Enterprise in the Faculty of Business, and Jason Bordoff.
“I look forward to interacting with students, staff, and faculty at Columbia during my stay,” said Dr. Trancik. “It’s an honor to be part of a global community of scholars dedicated to tackling the climate crisis.”
The Visiting Faculty program at CGEP allows scholars to identify new opportunities for high-impact research and raise the visibility of data-driven, actionable policy solutions. Through the program, participants host public events, faculty lectures and student seminars, and contribute to ongoing CGEP research initiatives.
On May 12, CGEP will host Dr.Trancik for a fireside chat with Dr. Geoffrey M. Heal on the state of clean energy technology today in relation to climate change mitigation goals. Register for the event here.
Read Dr. Jessika Trancik’s full bio here.
