Omar Isaac Asensio
Associate Professor
- School of Public Policy
- Climate and Energy Policy Laboratory
Overview
Dr. Omar I. Asensio is an Assistant Professor in the School of Public Policy at the Georgia Institute of Technology. His research focuses on the intersection of big data and public policy, with applications to energy systems and consumer behavior, smart cities, and machine learning in transportation and electric mobility. He directs the Data Science and Policy Lab at Georgia Tech, where he collaborates with the private sector and city governments on data innovations in policy analysis and research evaluation. He is a faculty affiliate at the Institute for Data Engineering and Science (IDEaS), the Machine Learning Center, and the Strategic Energy Institute. Dr. Asensio’s research has been published in leading journals such as Nature Energy, Nature Sustainability, and PNAS. His work uses statistical and computational tools to advance our understanding of how large-scale civic data and experiments can be used to increase participation in civic processes, while addressing resource conservation and environmental sustainability. Dr. Asensio’s research also has been featured in policy advisory communications by the European Commission, NSF Public Affairs, the World Bank, and national governments — including the U.K., and the IndiaAI initiative.
Dr. Asensio is a member of the New Voices 2021-2023 cohort of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. He is a recipient of the National Science Foundation CAREER award, the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM) 40-for-40 fellowship, and the ONE-NBS Research Impact on Practice award by the Organizations and the Natural Environment (ONE) Division of the Academy of Management. Dr. Asensio serves as Associate Editor of Data and Policy journal published by Cambridge University Press. He holds a doctorate in environmental science and engineering from UCLA with field specialties in economics. He is a faculty participant in the Research University Alliance (RUA) Research Exchange and is engaged in multiple activities to increase the representation of women and under-represented students and professionals in STEM fields. For more information, visit https://datasciencepolicy.gatech.edu
Distinctions:
- National Science Foundation CAREER Award
- Member, National Academy of Sciences, New Voices 2021-2023 cohort
- Associate Editor, Data and Policy Journal, Cambridge University Press
- APPAM 40-for-40 Fellowship for early career contributions to public policy
- ARCS Emerging Sustainability Scholar Award, Alliance for Research on Corporate Sustainability
- ONE-NBS Research Impact on Practice Award, Academy of Management ONE Division
Interests
- 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
- Energy
- Sustainability
- Technology Management and Policy
- Transportation
Courses
- ECON-8803: Special Topics: Big Data and Policy
- PUBP-3042: Data Science for Policy
- PUBP-4803: Special Topics: Data Science for Public Policy
- PUBP-6112: Research Dsgn-Polcy Sci
- PUBP-8751: Big Data and Policy
- PUBP-8813: Special Topics
Selected Publications
Journal Articles
- Impacts of micromobility on car displacement with evidence from a natural experiment and geofencing policy
In: Nature Energy [Peer Reviewed]
Date: November 2022
- Widespread use of National Academies consensus reports by the American public
In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences [Peer Reviewed]
Date: February 2022
- A Field Experiment on Workplace Norms and Electric Vehicle Charging Etiquette
In: Journal of Industrial Ecology [Peer Reviewed]
Date: 2021
- Electric Vehicle Charging Stations in the Workplace with High-Resolution Data from Casual and Habitual Users
In: Scientific Data [Peer Reviewed]
Date: 2021
- Topic Classification of Electric Vehicle Consumer Experiences with Transformer-based Deep Learning
In: Patterns - Cell Press [Peer Reviewed]
Date: 2021
- Real-time Data From Mobile Platforms To Evaluate Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure
In: Nature Sustainability [Peer Reviewed]
Date: 2020
- Using Machine Learning Techniques to Aid Environmental Policy Analysis: A Teaching Case Regarding Big Data and Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure
In: Case Studies in the Environment [Peer Reviewed]
Date: 2020
- Correcting Consumer Misperception
In: Nature Energy [Peer Reviewed]
Date: 2019
- The Effectiveness of US Energy Efficiency Building Labels
In: Nature Energy [Peer Reviewed]
Date: 2017
- The Dynamics of Behavior Change: Evidence from Energy Conservation
In: Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization [Peer Reviewed]
Date: 2016
- Nonprice Incentives and Energy Conservation
In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences [Peer Reviewed]
Date: 2015
- Information Strategies and Energy Conservation Behavior: A Meta-Analysis of Field Experiments 1975-2012
In: Energy Policy [Peer Reviewed]
Date: 2013
Recent Publications
Journal Articles
- Impacts of micromobility on car displacement with evidence from a natural experiment and geofencing policy
In: Nature Energy [Peer Reviewed]
Date: November 2022
- Widespread use of National Academies consensus reports by the American public
In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences [Peer Reviewed]
Date: February 2022