Dr. Les Norford

Professor

Build a Statement of Purpose

Generate a tailored SOP for Dr. Les Norford. Improve your application with a focused, well-structured draft.

Biography

Les Norford specializes in energy studies, controls, and ventilation, focusing on improving how buildings utilize the earth’s resources. He has been a professor at MIT since 1988 and has also lectured at Princeton University's Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. With a background as a mechanical engineer, Norford has concentrated on sustainable building design and operation since the oil shocks of the 1970s. His research includes building energy measurements and simulations, diagnostics, controls, and the development of efficient cooling systems. He played a key role in the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, which sparked his interest in the interactions between buildings and the urban environment, particularly regarding the urban heat island effect. Norford teaches undergraduate classes on energy building design and HVAC systems and leads a laboratory focused on housing solutions for developing countries. He holds a BS in engineering science from Cornell University and a PhD in mechanical and aerospace engineering from Princeton University.

Research Interests

Experience

Professor

— Present

Massachusetts Institute of Technology • Cambridge, MA

Teaching and researching in energy studies and building design.

Lecturer

— Present

Princeton University • Princeton, NJ

Lectured at the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.

Nuclear Power Engineer

— Present

Department of Energy •

Worked as a nuclear power engineer.