Marie-Odile Fortier

Marie-Odile Fortier is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). Her research focuses on sustainability, life cycle assessment (LCA), renewable energy systems, and environmental policy. She leads projects analyzing the carbon footprint of energy systems, bioenergy production, and geospatial impacts of renewable energy infrastructure. Dr. Fortier has received an NSF CAREER Award for her work on geospatial LCA of solar and ocean energy systems.

Her research interests span decarbonization strategies, policy analysis, and sustainable technology development. Notable contributions include studies on energy transitions, biofuel lifecycle emissions, and geospatial carbon accounting for natural gas and solar projects. She emphasizes integrating economic feasibility and geographic factors into sustainability assessments.

Dr. Fortier’s publications analyze diverse sectors including piezoelectric energy harvesting, soil remediation with ionic liquids, and stochastic modeling of bioenergy supply chains. She advocates for comprehensive climate action plans that account for full lifecycle emissions, challenging assumptions in carbon trading mechanisms and energy policy frameworks.

• Awards: NSF CAREER Award (2022)
• Key Projects: CAREER-funded solar/ocean energy LCA, biofuel production pathways in the Northeast US, and geospatial analysis of natural gas extraction impacts.