Nur Sunar

Nur Sunar is an Associate Professor of Operations and Sarah Graham Kenan Scholar at the Kenan-Flagler Business School of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research examines innovative business models, technologies, and policies with a focus on inclusion, sustainability, and social impact across energy systems and digital platforms.

She earned her PhD from Stanford Graduate School of Business and a BS in Industrial Engineering from Bogazici University in Istanbul. Her academic journey reflects a strong foundation in quantitative methods applied to real-world operational challenges.

Dr. Sunar's research centers on renewable energy technologies (rooftop solar, storage systems), smart city infrastructure (IoT, smart meters), and inclusive healthcare solutions, particularly telemedicine for reducing health disparities. Using advanced methodologies including machine learning, stochastic analysis, and game theory, she investigates how data-driven approaches can optimize utility pricing, improve marketplace efficiency, and address climate change. Her work consistently bridges technical innovation with social responsibility, emphasizing equitable access to emerging technologies.

Analysis of her publications reveals a cohesive trajectory applying operations research to sustainability challenges, with increasing emphasis on renewable energy integration and digital platform dynamics. Recent works demonstrate sophisticated use of smart meter data for dynamic pricing and examine how renewable energy adoption affects utility profitability and environmental outcomes.

Her scientific contributions have been recognized through numerous prestigious awards:

• Amundi-ESSEC ESG Best Paper Award (2024) for renewable energy investment research
• INFORMS Data Mining Best Paper Award (2020) and Service Science Cluster Award (2022) for smart meter pricing innovations
• People's Choice Award at the Early-career Sustainable Operations Workshop (2019)
• Consistent recognition on UNC's Full-Time MBA All-Star Teaching List (2021-2025)
• Inclusion in Poets & Quants' Best 40-Under-40 MBA Professors (2022)

Dr. Sunar actively shapes her field through editorial leadership as Associate Editor for Management Science, Operations Research, and M&SOM, while serving as Operations Management Concentration Head at UNC. Her industry collaborations with energy companies and participation in the POMS College of Sustainable Operations demonstrate strong academic-practitioner engagement. She also contributes to Rethinc. Labs, where her smart meter research informs real-world energy sector applications.

Her laboratory affiliations include Rethinc. Labs at the Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute, where she applies spectral clustering and dynamic pricing models to Texas smart meter data, demonstrating 146% profit improvement for utilities through data-driven approaches.