Valerie Thomas
Anderson Interface Professor of Natural Systems
- Center for Urban Innovation
- Climate and Energy Policy Laboratory
- School of Public Policy
- Technology Policy and Assessment Center
Overview
Valerie Thomas is the Anderson Interface Professor of Natural Systems, with a joint appointment in the School of Industrial and Systems Engineering and the School of Public Policy. Her research interests span energy systems, sustainability, industrial ecology, technology assessment, international security, and science and technology policy. Current research projects include the environmental impacts of alternative fuels, assessment of renewable electricity options, evaluation of alternative vehicle technologies, and energy development in Africa. Thomas received a B. A. in physics from Swarthmore College and a Ph.D. in theoretical physics from Cornell University. She was a post-doctoral Research Fellow at the Department of Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University, and then a Research Scientist at Princeton University, in the Princeton Environmental Institute and in the Center for Energy and Environmental Studies, and was a Lecturer in the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. In 2004-05, Thomas was the American Physical Society Congressional Science Fellow. Thomas is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a Fellow of the American Physical Society. She has served as a member of the US EPA Science Advisory Board, and as a member of the USDA/DOE Biomass R&D Technical Advisory Committee.
- PhD, Physics, Cornell University
- BA, Physics, Swarthmore College
Distinctions:
- Georgia Tech Class of 1934 Outstanding Interdisciplinary Award, 2018
- Fellow, AAAS
- Fellow, American Physical Society
Interests
- Clean Energy
- Climate Change Mitigation
- Energy Efficiency
- Energy, Climate and Environmental Policy
- Transportation
Focuses:
- Africa (Sub-Saharan)
- Middle East
- United States
- United States - Georgia
- United States - Southeast
- Energy
- Environment
- Environmental Performance
- National Security
- Science and Technology
- Sustainability
Courses
- PHIL-6000: Responsible Conduct-Res
- PUBP-6701: Energy Technol & Policy
Recent Publications
Journal Articles
- Natural Gas Combined Cycle Power Plants Have Lower Environmental Impact than Conventional Combined Heat and Power for Commercial Buildings
In: Envir. Sci. Technol. [Peer Reviewed]
Date: July 2021
- The Impact of Development Priorities on Power System Expansion Planning in Sub-Saharan Africa
In: Energy Systems [Peer Reviewed]
Date: April 2021
- The Mining and Technology Industries as Catalysts for Sustainable Energy Development
In: Sustainability [Peer Reviewed]
Date: December 2020
- Recent Advancements of Plant-based Natural Fiber-Reinforced Composites and Their Applications
In: Composites Part B
Date: November 2020
- A Framework for the Resilience Analysis of Electric Infrastructure Systems Including Temporary Generation Systems
In: Reliability Engineering and System Safety [Peer Reviewed]
Date: October 2020
- Lifecycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions for an Ethanol Production Process Based on Genetically Modified Cyanobacteria: CO2 Sourcing Options
In: Biofuels, Bioproducts & Bioprocesses
Date: July 2020
- Similarities in Recalcitrant Structures of Industrial Non-kraft and Kraft Lignin
In: ChemSusChem
Date: June 2020
- Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Different CO2 Supply Options for an Algal Biorefinery.
In: Journal of CO2 Utilization [Peer Reviewed]
Date: June 2020
- Unpacking Ecological Stress from Economic Activities for Sustainability and Resource Optimization in Sub-Saharan Africa
In: Sustainability [Peer Reviewed]
Date: April 2020
- The Mining and Technology Industries as Catalysts for Sustainable Energy Development
In: Sustainability
Date: 2020
Conferences
- Bioenergy efficiency evaluation for sustainable optimization in sub-Saharan Africa
In: Proceedings of the 2nd African International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management
Date: December 2020