Find Academic Supervisors

William W. BrahamView profile

Professor

• Environmental Building Design
• Sustainable Architecture
• Building Performance Modeling
• +9 more

William W. Braham is the Andrew Gordon Professor of Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania’s Stuart Weitzman School of Design, where he also directs the Master of Science in Design – Environmental Building Design (MSD-EBD) program and the Center for Environmental Building + Design (CEBD). He previously served as Department Chair and Chair of the Faculty Senate, reflecting his longstanding leadership within the institution. His education includes a B.S.E. in civil and mechanical engineering from Princeton University, followed by a Master of Architecture and PhD in Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania. He also holds a Certificate in Traditional Chinese Architecture from Tsinghua University, underscoring his global perspective on sustainable design. Braham’s research lies at the intersection of architecture, energy, and ecological systems. His work applies systems ecology and building performance modeling to address climate change, energy efficiency, and urban sustainability. Key themes include responsive building envelopes, urban morphology, embodied carbon, and regenerative architecture. He has pioneered the use of emergy synthesis in architectural analysis and has led energy and carbon planning for institutions like the University of Pennsylvania Health System and the Chautauqua Institution. His recent publications reveal a strong focus on smart building technologies, thermal comfort modeling using AI, indoor air quality, and sustainable materials. Collaborations with the Thermal Architecture Lab and international partners highlight the interdisciplinary nature of his work. The articles span topics from blockchain-based environmental accounting to bioclimatic design pedagogy, indicating both scholarly depth and educational innovation. 2021 Best Paper Award, Building and Environment Fellow, American Institute of Architects (FAIA) Braham has advised numerous graduate students and researchers in environmental building design and urban sustainability. His research has been supported by collaborations with PennPraxis, DOE, and industry partners such as Daikin. He continues to lead high-impact research initiatives through the CEBD, including campus energy analysis and building energy modeling tools. He leads the Center for Environmental Building + Design, a hub for interdisciplinary research on energy, climate, and sustainable design. The center fosters collaborations across engineering, architecture, and environmental science, supporting innovative projects in urban metabolism, low-carbon materials, and smart building systems.

Carol Verheecke-VaessenView profile

Senior Lecturer

• Applied Molecular Mycology
• Mycotoxin Research
• Food Safety
• +7 more

Dr Carol Verheecke-Vaessen is a Senior Lecturer in Applied Molecular Mycology at Cranfield University, affiliated with the Centre for Soil, Agrifood and Biosciences and the Applied Mycology Group under the Environment and Agrifood theme. She leads the Food Safety module in the MSc Food Systems & Management program and is the Director of the Mycotoxin Training Hub, developing industry-focused training and research initiatives globally. Education: PhD in Mycotoxin Research, Federal University of Toulouse, France (2014) Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice, Cranfield University (2021) Her research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms of mycotoxin production in fungi under environmental stress, particularly climate change. She develops holistic solutions from farm to fork for managing mycotoxin risks, including biocontrol agents, decision support systems, and food waste valorization. Her work spans agrifood chain contamination assessment using advanced molecular and analytical techniques. The recent publications reflect a strong trend in climate change impact on mycotoxin dynamics, real-time detection methods (e.g., CO2 monitoring, spectroscopy), biocontrol strategies in coffee and cereals, and innovative pretreatment techniques for mycotoxin analysis. Her studies often involve interdisciplinary collaborations across Europe, Africa, and Asia. Scientific Awards: Best Innovative PhD Award, Federal University of Toulouse (2015) Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) She actively supervises PhD and MSc students and has secured funding from Research England, Innovate UK, and BBSRC. She is co-leading the development of the Magan Centre of Applied Mycology and contributes to the Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold-chain (ACES). Her research projects include Oats for the Future, NutriNuts, and Gender-equal mycotoxin training, emphasizing sustainable and equitable food systems. Laboratories and Research Teams: Applied Mycology Group, Cranfield University Mycotoxin Training Hub (Director) Magan Centre of Applied Mycology (Co-Lead) Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold-chain (ACES) – Active Member

• Natural Hazards
• Disaster Risk Reduction
• Wildfire Vulnerability
• +3 more

Maria Papathoma-Köhle is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Alpine Natural Hazards , University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna. She holds a PhD in Tsunami Vulnerability Assessment from Coventry University (UK) and has held roles as Academic Coordinator of the MSc 'Risk Prevention and Disaster Management' at University of Vienna. Her research focuses on natural hazard vulnerability , particularly wildfire and flood risks in alpine regions, with methodological expertise in indicator-based vulnerability assessment and physical vulnerability indices . Education: PhD in Natural Hazards (Coventry University, UK) MSc in Environmental Management (University of Durham, UK) Geology Degree (University of Athens, Greece) Research: Specializes in wildfire vulnerability indices, flood risk modeling, and climate change adaptation frameworks. Developed the Physical Vulnerability Index (PVI) for buildings and contributed to EU-funded projects like FLOODLABEL and EXTEND. Awards: Elise Richter Scholarship (2016) Back to Research Grant (2012) Young European Scientist Award (2002) Projects: Led FWF-funded research on physical vulnerability indicators and collaborated on EU programs for wildfire preparedness. Current work includes climate change adaptation tools for Austrian infrastructure. Advising: Supervised 6 Master's/PhD students on wildfire and flood vulnerability topics. Publications: Over 106 peer-reviewed works; recent articles focus on wildfire indices, IPCC risk diagrams, and dynamic flooding assessment.

Jessica DempseyView profile

Professor

• Environmental Politics
• Political Ecology
• Feminist Political Economy
• +8 more

Jessica Dempsey is a Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of British Columbia , affiliated with the Faculty of Arts and Biodiversity Research Centre . Her work intersects environmental politics , political ecology , and feminist political economy , focusing on biodiversity loss, capitalist logics, and conservation finance. PhD, University of British Columbia (2011) MA, University of British Columbia BSc, University of Victoria Research explores how neoliberal environmentalism , resource extraction , and international financial systems perpetuate biodiversity loss. Key themes include debt justice , gendered mining impacts , and temporal policy fixes . Supervision emphasizes community-building through regular lab meetings and interdisciplinary critique. Recent publications analyze conservation finance , extinction drivers , and policy contradictions in Antipode , Nature Ecology & Evolution , and Conservation Letters . She received the 2025 Dean of Arts Mentorship Award for her student-centered feedback style and collaborative approach.

Benjamin RechtView profile

Professor

• Machine Learning
• Optimization
• Statistics
• +5 more

Benjamin Recht is a Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences and Department of Statistics at the University of California, Berkeley. Previously, he was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Recht received his BS in mathematics from the University of Chicago and his MS and PhD from the MIT Media Laboratory, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at Caltech's Center for the Mathematics of Information. His research interests span Machine Learning, Optimization, Control Theory, and Statistics , with a focus on both theoretical foundations and practical applications. Recht's work addresses fundamental questions in reproducibility, generalization, and robustness of machine learning systems, while also developing novel methods for control, computer vision, and data analysis. Recht's recent publications reveal a strong focus on reproducibility in machine learning , with papers like "The Mechanics of Frictionless Reproducibility" (2024), alongside continued contributions to statistical learning theory ("Interpolating Classifiers Make Few Mistakes", 2023) and computer vision ("Plenoxels", 2022; "K-planes", 2023). His work increasingly addresses societal implications of AI , including papers on systemic harm detection and post-deployment evaluation. NSF Career Award Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship 2012 SIAM/MOS Lagrange Prize in Continuous Optimization Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers 2014 Jamon Prize 2015 William O. Baker Award for Initiatives in Research 2017 and 2020 NeurIPS Test of Time Awards Recht has advised numerous PhD students who have gone on to faculty positions at top universities and research roles at leading technology companies. His work on optimization algorithms has been widely influential, including the development of methods like HOGWILD! for parallel stochastic gradient descent. He co-founded the Conference on Learning for Decision and Control and has served on editorial boards for the Journal of Machine Learning Research and Mathematical Programming. His research group spans both theoretical and applied work, with connections to healthcare (adaptive medication tapering), computer vision (radiance fields), and social impact (systemic harm detection in deployed systems).

Martin HeintelView profile

Associate Professor

• Regional Development
• Human Geography
• European Spatial Planning
• +5 more

ao. Univ.-Prof. Dr. Martin Heintel is an Associate Professor at the Department of Geography and Regional Research, University of Vienna. With over 30 years of experience, he focuses on regional development, cross-border cooperation, and sustainable urban-rural linkages. His work spans Europe, Southeast Asia, and North America, emphasizing participatory governance and evidence-based policy. International guest professorships: University of New Orleans, Hebrew University, German University of Technology in Oman Recipient of Marshall Plan Chair and bm:bwk research grants Keynote speaker at conferences in Austria, Germany, Croatia, and Japan Research interests include collaborative governance, regional disparities, and transformative planning in megacities. His recent publications explore EU cohesion policy, cross-sectoral cooperation, and urban resilience frameworks. He has advised regional governments on demographic shifts and sustainable development. Notable trends in his 293+ publications: 100% focus on regional development, 75% sustainable practices, 60% cross-border governance, and 45% urbanization in the Global South. His work bridges academic theory with practical policy interventions. Scientific engagement: Editorial Advisory Board, Europa Regional (2008-2023) Speaker at 243+ international events Media coverage in Der Standard , Österreichische Medien , and public debates Leadership roles include co-founding the Austrian Association for Applied Geography (ÖVAG) and coordinating the IGEN EU project (2011-2013). He mentors young researchers through conference sessions and regional workshops.

Craig L. JustView profile

Professor

• Use of sensors to measure water quality
• Freshwater mussels as living biosensors
• Fate of pharmaceuticals in wastewater treatment
• +2 more

Craig L. Just holds the Donald E. Bently Professorship in Engineering and serves as a Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Iowa's College of Engineering. He also works as a Faculty Research Engineer at IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering. With a PhD in Environmental Engineering and Science (2001) and an MA in Chemistry (1994), both from the University of Iowa and University of Northern Iowa respectively, his career spans over two decades of academic and practical contributions. Education: PhD, Environmental Engineering and Science, University of Iowa (2001) MA, Chemistry, University of Northern Iowa (1994) BS, Chemistry, University of Northern Iowa (1992) Dr. Just's research focuses on water quality monitoring through sensor technology, freshwater mussel biosensing , pharmaceutical contaminant removal , and PCB exposure analysis from dredging operations. His work bridges environmental engineering with ecological health and sustainable systems. Recent publications highlight trends in anaerobic digestion optimization , PCB emission characterization , and machine learning applications for biogas prediction. He has extensively studied constructed wetlands , nitrogen cycling , and flood risk mitigation in agricultural and urban contexts. As director of the Iowa Wastewater and Waste to Energy Research Program, he leads initiatives connecting bioremediation , smart infrastructure , and community engagement . His projects span from hydrological modeling in Iowa to international water programs in Honduras.

Bernd KlauerView profile

Professor

• Water resources economics
• Ecological economics
• Environmental and resource economics
• +7 more

Prof. Dr. Bernd Klauer serves as Deputy Head of the Department of Economics at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) since 2017 and holds an Honorary Professorship for Sustainability and Water Resources Management at the University of Leipzig since 2015. He leads the Working Group on Social Science Water Research and contributes to interdisciplinary projects spanning Germany, EU, Jordan, and India. Doctorate in Economics (1997), University of Heidelberg Diplom-Mathematiker (1992), University of Heidelberg His research integrates water economics with ecological economics and governance frameworks, focusing on hydro-economic modeling, water resource governance, decision support systems, and multi-criteria evaluation. Key application areas include Food-Water-Energy Nexus, Integrated Water Resource Management, and EU Water Framework Directive implementation. The 15 most recent publications reveal a strong emphasis on coupled human-natural systems modeling, climate change adaptation in agriculture, water scarcity governance, and socioeconomic analysis of informal water markets. His work consistently bridges technical hydrological models with economic decision-making frameworks across diverse geographic contexts. Current projects include FUSE (Food-Water-Energy Nexus) and NexusFootprints, while completed initiatives like the Jordan Water Project demonstrate his commitment to transboundary water challenges. He collaborates extensively with hydrologists, ecologists, and policy experts.

Huadong MoView profile

Senior Lecturer

• Power and energy systems
• Cyber-physical systems
• Manufacturing systems
• +6 more

Dr. Huadong Mo is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Systems and Computing, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Canberra, Australia. He holds a B.E. degree in automation from the University of Science and Technology of China (2012) and a Ph.D. in systems engineering and engineering management from the City University of Hong Kong (2016). Prior to his current position, he was a research associate at ETH Zurich's Reliability and Risk Engineering Lab (2016-2019) and a Lecturer at UNSW Canberra (2019-2021). Dr. Mo's educational background includes a strong foundation in systems engineering with international experience across China, Switzerland, and Australia. His career trajectory demonstrates a progression from academic research to faculty positions with increasing responsibilities in teaching and research leadership. His research focuses on enhancing the resilience, performance, and security of complex systems using learning-based algorithms, primarily in power and energy systems, cyber-physical systems, and manufacturing systems. He applies data analytics to understand system evolution under uncertainties, with particular emphasis on prognostics and health management, sustainable transportation, robust operation of power systems under extreme events, and reinforcement learning-based asset management. His work bridges theoretical advances with practical applications in critical infrastructure. Analysis of Dr. Mo's recent publications reveals a strong focus on energy systems, particularly in the integration of machine learning with power grid management, battery storage systems, and resilience against cyber threats. His research shows a clear trajectory toward increasingly complex system integration, with growing emphasis on multi-vector energy communities, cross-domain prediction, and uncertainty-aware energy management. The interdisciplinary nature of his work spans electrical engineering, computer science, and operations research. 2024 IEEE SMC Early Career Award 2023 Visiting Research Fellowship (Jean d'Alembert Pour Fellowship) Gold Medal in 2024 China International College Student Innovation Competition (as supervisor) Arc PGC Supervisor Award (2021) IEEE SMC Outstanding Chapter Award (2021) Alumni Achievement Award from City University of Hong Kong (2019) Dr. Mo actively supervises numerous HDR students working on cutting-edge research topics including battery health monitoring, quantum control, reinforcement learning for power systems, and explainable AI for energy management. He leads multiple significant research grants totaling over 3 million AUD, including projects funded by ARC, Energy Innovation Fund, and international collaborations with institutions like ETH Zurich, Cambridge, and Tsinghua University. His research group maintains strong international connections, facilitating student exchanges and collaborative research. As Postgraduate Course Coordinator of Systems Engineering and Chair of IEEE SMC ACT Chapter, Dr. Mo plays a significant role in academic leadership and professional community building. His research team collaborates with industry partners on practical implementations of their theoretical work, particularly in the energy sector.

• Environmental Governance
• Climate Adaptation
• Sustainable Urban Development
• +2 more

Peter Driessen is a full Professor of Environmental Governance at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development (Utrecht University) since 2004. His research focuses on governance strategies for sustainability transitions , particularly in climate adaptation , water management , and science-policy interfaces . He leads the Environmental Governance research group and contributes to global debates on resilient governance and institutional reform . Key research themes include: Sustainable Urban Development : Analyzing institutional frameworks for climate-resilient cities Water Governance : Exploring legal and social conditions for effective water policy Science-Policy Interfaces : Enhancing decision-making through interdisciplinary collaboration His recent publications emphasize anticipatory governance in the Global South, city-to-city learning for water management, and institutional shifts in flood risk governance. Driessen’s work bridges theoretical analysis with practical policy recommendations, focusing on legitimacy , efficiency , and effectiveness of sustainability governance models. Contact: p.driessen@uu.nl

Ting SunView profile

Associate Professor

• Urban climate modelling
• Climate change impacts and adaptation
• Extreme weather events in cities
• +5 more

Dr Ting Sun is an Associate Professor in Climate & Meteorological Hazard Risks at University College London , Department of Risk and Disaster Reduction. He earned his BEng (2009) and PhD in Hydrology (2013) from Tsinghua University , followed by a visiting period at Princeton University (2011–2012). After postdoctoral appointments at Tsinghua and the University of Reading , he held a NERC Independent Research Fellowship at Reading (2017–2022) before joining UCL in May 2022. Education PhD in Hydrology, Tsinghua University, 2013 BEng in Hydraulic Engineering, Tsinghua University, 2009 Visiting PhD Student, Princeton University, 2011–2012 Research Interests Dr Sun’s work converges on urban climate modelling across scales —from neighbourhood blocks to global grids—focusing on the impacts of weather and climate extremes such as heat waves and extreme rainfall in cities. He is the lead developer of the Surface Urban Energy and Water balance Scheme (SUEWS) and its Python wrapper SuPy , developed in collaboration with Prof Sue Grimmond’s micromet group. He also contributes as a core member of the Urban Multi-scale Environmental Predictor (UMEP) development team. His multidisciplinary expertise integrates hydro-climate dynamics, computational modelling, machine learning, built-environment processes, and public-health linkages . Research Trends from Recent Publications Across the 15 most recent articles, a clear trajectory emerges from high-resolution urban-process modelling toward integrated socio-environmental assessments . Studies published in 2024–2025 couple atmospheric models (WRF-SUEWS) with global building-morphology datasets (GLAMOUR) to quantify how cities alter rainfall patterns, temperature sensitivity, and heat-related mortality. Earlier works progressively refined SUEWS’s physical parameterisations and Python accessibility, while recent outputs leverage deep-learning remote-sensing tools (SHAFTS) and hybrid hydrological-neural architectures to deliver actionable insights for urban planning and climate adaptation. Scientific Awards & Fellowships NERC Independent Research Fellowship , University of Reading, 2017–2022 HEA Fellowship , University College London, 2023 Professional Service & Editorial Roles Topic Editor , Geoscientific Model Development (from 2025) Editorial Board Member , Scientific Data (from 2024) Peer review and consultancy for journals, conferences, and policy bodies Supervision of taught-course projects and research degrees External examining and mentoring Labs, Teams & Collaborations Dr Sun leads and collaborates within the UCL Department of Risk and Disaster Reduction , working closely with the micromet group at the University of Reading (Prof Sue Grimmond) on SUEWS/SuPy development. He is an active member of the UMEP consortium and maintains extensive international collaborations spanning Tsinghua University, Princeton, and numerous European research centres, underpinning a vibrant, interdisciplinary research network focused on urban climate resilience.

Lucila de AlmeidaView profile

Associate Professor

• Energy Law
• Climate Law
• Environmental Law
• +3 more

Lucila de Almeida is an Associate Professor at NOVA School of Law, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, holding the prestigious Abreu Chair in ESG Impact, Climate and Energy Law. She concurrently serves as coordinator of the NOVA Green Lab and the Master's in International and European Law, while maintaining a part-time Full Professor position at the European University Institute's Florence School of Regulation. Her academic leadership spans energy regulation, climate policy, and European legal frameworks. Her educational foundation includes: PhD in European Law from the European University Institute LL.M. in Comparative, European and International Law from the European University Institute Master's in Law and Development from FGV São Paulo Law Degree from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte Professor de Almeida's research confronts urgent energy-climate intersections through critical analysis of regulatory frameworks. She pioneers studies on peer-to-peer energy trading, consumer protection in digitalized markets, and the legal architecture of sustainable consumption. Her work dissects the European Green Deal's implementation challenges, examining how securitization narratives impact energy, food, and climate policies while advocating for equitable regulatory solutions in energy democratization. Her publication trajectory reveals deepening engagement with energy market transformation, shifting from foundational contract law analyses toward systemic examinations of digitalization, community energy models, and Green Deal stress-testing. Recent works increasingly integrate consumer protection with energy democratization frameworks, highlighting regulatory gaps in peer-to-peer platforms and sustainability reporting. Her scholarly recognition includes: Abreu Chair in ESG Impact, Climate and Energy Law Edmond J. Safra Research Fellowship at Tel Aviv University Finnish Distinguished Professorship by the Academy of Finland As principal investigator for major EU-funded initiatives including Horizon Europe's U2Demo project and International Energy Agency's UserTCP Observatory, she directs cutting-edge research on P2P energy sharing and consumer rights. Her editorial leadership spans Competition and Regulation in Network Industries (Sage) and Energy Research & Social Science (Elsevier), shaping discourse on regulatory innovation. Through the NOVA Green Lab, she cultivates interdisciplinary collaboration on climate law implementation and energy justice, developing practical ESG training frameworks for Portuguese SMEs while advancing theoretical foundations of regulatory private law.

Chaopeng ShenView profile

Professor

• Hydrology
• Deep Learning
• Physics-Informed Machine Learning
• +9 more

Chaopeng Shen is a Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Pennsylvania State University. His research bridges hydrology with state-of-the-art deep learning and differentiable modeling techniques, focusing on advancing our understanding of hydrologic cycles and their interactions with ecosystems, energy, and carbon cycles. He leads the Multi-scale Hydrology, Processes and Intelligence group (MHPI) and has developed the Process-based Adaptive Watershed Simulator (PAWS) for large-scale hydrologic modeling. Shen's work emphasizes physics-informed machine learning , where deep learning components are integrated with process-based equations through differentiable modeling. This approach enables training neural networks using big data while respecting physical laws, leading to improved generalizability and robustness. His group has demonstrated advantages of differentiable models in rainfall-runoff prediction, routing, ecosystem modeling, and water quality studies. Notably, his team's deepLDB project addresses landslide prediction using AI and big datasets. Recent publications highlight his contributions to global water modeling (grid-LSTM, differentiable Muskingum-Cunge routing), extreme flood forecasting (probabilistic diffusion models), and hydrologic uncertainty quantification . Shen actively engages in interdisciplinary collaborations through the PRISM Cooperative Institute, which aims to integrate multi-domain data for systemic risk assessment. His group has advised students including Dapeng Feng, Wen-Ping Tsai, Kuai Fang, Xinye Ji, and Tasnuva Mahjabin. Shen's research is supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Energy (DoE), USGS, Google.org, and the Gates Foundation. He serves as Editor for the Journal of Geophysical Research - Machine Learning & Computation and Chief Editor for Frontiers in Water: Water & AI. His open-source software tools like PAWS and deepLDB are available through dedicated project websites.

• Sustainable Energy
• Microgrid Technology
• Energy Systems
• +4 more

Nathan Johnson is an Associate Professor at Arizona State University (ASU) within the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering's Polytechnic School. He directs the Laboratory for Energy And Power Solutions and the ASU-Starbucks Center for the Future of People and the Planet, while serving as Assistant Director of Research for the Global Futures Laboratory. His work focuses on sustainable development through energy decarbonization, microgrid innovation, and public-private partnerships. Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University (2012) M.S. International Development & Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University (2008, 2005) B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University (2004) Research interests span microgrid resilience , energy-water-food nexus , grid modernization , and resource circularity , with applications in defense energy security, global energy access, and climate adaptation. His recent publications examine cascading infrastructure failures, hydrogen's role in decarbonization, and AI-driven solar panel diagnostics, reflecting interdisciplinary work in energy economics , control systems , and climate-resilient infrastructure . Over $70 million in funding includes projects like: DoD-funded microgrid resilience programs ($1.05M, 2022) World Bank climate-adaptive energy solutions in West Africa ($39.95M, 2021) NSF grants for urban resilience modeling ($3.6M, 2019) As leader of ASU's LEAPS initiative, he develops deployable energy solutions for disaster relief and underserved communities, combining hardware innovation with workforce development programs for veterans and civilians.

John RandView profile

Professor

• Development Economics
• Applied Econometrics
• Impact Measurement
• +4 more

John Rand is a Professor in Development Economics at the Department of Economics, University of Copenhagen, where he has been employed since 2021. He previously served as Professor (mso) at the Faculty of Social Sciences (2015-2020) and Faculty of Science (2011-2014), Associate Professor (2008-2011), and Assistant Research Professor (2005-2008) at the same institution. He is currently Vice-chair of The Consultative Research Committee for Development Research (FFU) and co-director of the Development Economics Research Group (DERG). Professor Rand's research focuses primarily on development economics, with specific expertise in applied econometrics, impact measurement, industrial economics, and interdisciplinary methods. His work spans topics including climate-smart agriculture, economic policy in developing countries, trade and productivity, and governance issues. He leads multiple externally funded research projects including 'Energy transition and climate-smart agriculture in Vietnam', 'Economic Research and Policy Making in Kenya', and 'Sedentarization and climate change resilience in Nigeria'. His extensive publication record shows a strong focus on empirical research in developing countries, particularly in Africa and Southeast Asia. His recent work demonstrates consistent attention to practical policy implications, with a growing emphasis on climate change adaptation, resource allocation efficiency, and the intersection of economic development with environmental sustainability. His research often employs rigorous quantitative methods to address real-world development challenges. Professor Rand is actively involved in several research networks including the Copenhagen Center for Disaster Research (COPE) as part of the steering group and the UCPH Migration Research Platform. He serves as Head of Studies for Global Development and teaches Development Economics (BA) and Theories, Facts and Current Issues (MSc Global Development). He has presented his research at numerous international conferences including UNU WIDER conferences, Nordic Conference in Development Economics, and various country-specific development forums. His work has been referenced in policy sources and picked up by news outlets, indicating its relevance to current development debates.