Mona Azarbayjani

Professor Mona Azarbayjani serves as Graduate Program Director at the David R. Ravin School of Architecture, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where she has held a faculty position since 2010 after earning her Ph.D. from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Her research integrates energy analytics, high-performance building systems, and human physiological parameters to advance healthy, energy-efficient built environments. Key projects include the AI Thermal Comfort Imaging initiative using non-intrusive thermal/RGB camera technology, investigations into High-Performance Double Skin Facade Buildings for diverse climates, and sustainable wood/timber construction research examining carbon footprint and structural performance. These efforts demonstrate her commitment to user-centered design through computational and physical systems.

Dr. Azarbayjani's scholarly contributions encompass one book, eight book chapters, and numerous peer-reviewed publications focusing on sustainable building technologies. Her work reveals strong trends in decarbonization strategies, occupant-centric energy modeling, and innovative facade systems.

She has received significant recognition including three 2013 Solar Decathlon awards:

• People’s Choice Award
• Eighth Place in Architecture
• Third Place in Engineering

as lead PI for a Department of Energy/NREL-funded zero-energy house project.

Dr. Azarbayjani has advised four Ph.D. students (two graduated) and maintains active cross-disciplinary collaborations with Electrical and Computer Science Engineering and Health and Human Sciences faculty. Her research team engages hundreds of students and industry partners in large-scale projects like the Solar Decathlon, demonstrating robust grant acquisition and team leadership capabilities.