Valerie J. Karplus

Valerie J. Karplus serves as a Visiting Associate Professor in the Global Economics and Management department at MIT Sloan School of Management, with faculty affiliations at the MIT Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research, MIT Energy Initiative, and MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change.

Her academic background includes a BS in biochemistry and political science from Yale University and a PhD in engineering systems from MIT.

Professor Karplus specializes in resource and environmental management within emerging markets, particularly China and India, examining institutional frameworks and management practices driving clean energy transitions. Her research integrates climate policy, energy system governance, and air pollution mitigation, with cross-disciplinary applications in biotechnology, water management, and sustainable development strategies.

She has received significant recognition including:

• 2015 Seed Grant Recipient
• Robert Bosch Foundation Fellowship
• Luce Scholarship

Professor Karplus directs major research initiatives such as the MIT-Tsinghua China Energy and Climate Project (2011-2015), teaches courses including Entrepreneurship without Borders and New Models for Global Business, and collaborates on developing curriculum for Global Energy Markets and Policy. Her professional experience spans the German Federal Foreign Office and Beijing biotechnology sector.

She leads collaborative research teams studying micro-macro determinants of clean energy adoption in developing economies.