Omar Isaac Asensio

Associate Professor

Member Of:
  • Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy
  • Climate and Energy Policy Laboratory
Office Phone: 404-385-5703
Office Location: DM Smith 206C
Related Links:
Faculty-to-Faculty Mentor

Overview

Dr. Omar I. Asensio is an Associate Professor in the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy and Director of the Data Science & Policy Lab at Georgia Tech. He is a two-time former chair of the Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management (APPAM) Natural Resource, Energy, and Environmental Policy section. He is a member of the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM), New Voices 2021 cohort. For the 2023-2024 academic year, Professor Asensio was visiting fellow at the Institute for Business in Global Society at Harvard Business School.

Professor Asensio's research focuses on climate and electrification strategies at the intersection of technology, AI, and sustainability. His work uses statistical and computational tools to advance our understanding of how large-scale data and field experiments can be used to increase civic participation, while addressing pressing resource conservation and environmental sustainability challenges. Professor Asensio’s research has been published in leading journals such as Nature Energy, Nature Sustainability, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Professor Asensio's research and teaching have been supported by awards from the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. State Department Diplomacy Lab, Microsoft and ESRI. His research also has been featured in policy advisory communications by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the UK Government, the European Commission, the United Nations Commision for Latin America and the Carribean, the Brookings Institution, the World Bank, and the IndiaAI initiative. He contributed to the Zero Emissions Vehicles (ZEV) policy guidance for COP26 and the Glasgow Climate Pact. 

Professor Asensio has received multiple awards for his research including the National Science Foundation CAREER award, the Alliance for Research on Corporate Sustainability (ARCS) Emerging Sustainability Scholar Award, the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM) 40-for-40 fellowship, and the NBS Research Impact on Practice award by the Academy of Management ONE Division.

Professor Asensio serves as an Associate Editor of the Data and Policy journal, published by Cambridge University Press and serves on the Editorial Board of the Communications Earth and Environment (Nature).

He holds a doctorate in environmental science & engineering with specialties in economics from UCLA. For more information, visit https://datasciencepolicy.gatech.edu 

Education:
  • UCLA, Doctorate in Environmental Science & Engineering with specialties in Economics
  • University of Southern California, M.S. Materials Engineering
  • University of Southern California, B.S. Chemistry with a minor in Philosophy
Awards and
Distinctions:
  • National Science Foundation CAREER Award
  • Member, National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), New Voices 2021 cohort
  • Associate Editor, Data and Policy Journal, Cambridge University Press
  • ARCS Emerging Sustainability Scholar Award, Alliance for Research on Corporate Sustainability
  • APPAM 40-for-40 Fellowship for early career contributions to public policy
  • Research Impact on Practice Award, Academy of Management ONE Division
  • Best Paper Award, Transportation Research Board, AEP 35 Standing Committee
  • Team Advisor Award, U.S. Department of Energy, Jump into STEM (2021-2023)
Areas of
Expertise:
  • Artificial Intelligence And Machine Learning
  • Data Science And Public Policy
  • Electric Vehicles
  • Energy And Environmental Economics
  • Energy Efficiency And Conservation
  • Environmental Policy And Management
  • Information Policies
  • Transportation And Mobility

Interests

Teaching Interests:
Professor Asensio’s teaching focuses on quantitative methods classes at the undergraduate and graduate levels, including research design, causal inference and prediction, data science and machine learning for public policy and economics applications, event studies, primary and secondary data collection, randomized controlled trials, and quasi-experimental methods for impact evaluation. Professor Asensio’s teaching interests include data science education for professionals and managers, including experiential learning through classroom partnerships with the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. State Department Diplomacy Lab, and the World Bank. He currently serves as the faculty director for the Institute minor in Applications of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning representing the Ivan Allen College.
Research Interests:
Professor Asensio’s research focuses on climate and electrification strategies at the intersection of technology, AI, and sustainability. His research employs large-scale data, field experiments, and human-in-the-loop AI systems to address pressing innovation challenges in energy systems, transportation, and human mobility. Professor Asensio’s research in resource conservation and electric vehicles has been cited in policy advisory communications by the National Academy of Sciences, the UK government, the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, and the IndiaAI initiative. Recent topics include agentic AI systems for policy analysis, dynamic pricing and urban sustainability, and the operational reliability of energy infrastructure and its co-benefits for urban and rural communities.
Research Fields:
  • Economic Development and Smart Cities
  • Energy Efficiency
  • Energy Markets
  • Energy, Climate and Environmental Policy
  • Information Programs
  • Information and Communications Technology Policy
  • Innovation and Diffusion
  • Market-based Incentives
  • Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy
  • Smart Grid
  • Transportation
  • Voluntary Programs
Issues:
  • Energy
  • Innovation
  • Policy Analysis
  • Sustainability
  • Technology and Innovation
  • Technology Management and Policy
  • Transportation

Courses

  • ECON-4699: Undergraduate Research
  • ECON-8803: Special Topics
  • ECON-8803: Special Topics: Big Data and Policy
  • PUBP-3042: Data Science for Policy
  • PUBP-4699: Undergraduate Research
  • PUBP-4803: Special Topics: Data Science for Public Policy
  • PUBP-6112: Research Dsgn-Polcy Sci
  • PUBP-8500: Research Seminar
  • PUBP-8751: Big Data and Policy
  • PUBP-8803: Special Topics
  • PUBP-8813: Special Topics

Publications

Selected Publications

Journal Articles

All Publications

Journal Articles

Conferences

Updated:  Feb 6th, 2026 at 1:50 PM