معرفی
Erin Baker is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and serves as Faculty Director of the Energy Transition Institute. Her work applies operations research and economics to decision-making under uncertainty, with a strong focus on energy justice and publicly-funded energy technology R&D in the context of climate change.
- University: University of Massachusetts Amherst
- School: College of Engineering
- Department: Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
- Leadership Role: Faculty Director, Energy Transition Institute
Education:
- PhD, Engineering Economic Systems & Operations Research, Stanford University (2002)
- MS, Engineering Economic Systems & Operations Research, Stanford University (1998)
- BA, Applied Mathematics, University of California, Berkeley (1986)
Professor Baker's research lies at the intersection of energy, environment, and decision science. She develops and links models to address complex energy policy and planning challenges across geographic and temporal scales. Her work emphasizes robust decision-making, energy equity, and sustainability, with applications including grid resilience in New England and developing countries, and environmental assessment of offshore wind energy. She is deeply committed to mentoring and education, having received multiple awards for advising and teaching excellence.
Her research trends reflect a consistent focus on modeling under uncertainty, energy systems, and sustainability, with strong interdisciplinary links to economics, policy, and environmental science.
Scientific Awards and Distinctions:
- NSF CAREER Award (2008)
- College of Engineering Outstanding Senior Faculty Award (2016)
- Distinguished Graduate Mentor Award (2014)
- Multiple IEOR Advisor of the Year Awards (2005, 2006, 2009, 2015)
- Finalist, C3E Award for Women in Clean Energy (2014, 2015)
- Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Best Publication in Sustainability (2017)
Professor Baker is an active mentor and educator, having advised numerous students, as reflected in her repeated recognition as Advisor of the Year. She has secured significant research funding, including an NSF CAREER Award, to support her work on energy technology innovation and policy. Her leadership in the Energy Transition Institute demonstrates her commitment to stakeholder-engaged, interdisciplinary research aimed at achieving a fair and rapid transition to a decarbonized energy system.
She leads and collaborates with interdisciplinary teams within the Energy Transition Institute, which brings together expertise from engineering, social sciences, and the humanities to tackle the complex challenges of energy transition. Her work is highly collaborative and policy-relevant, aiming to create broadly shared benefits from the shift to net-zero energy systems.
