Dr. Michael Davidson

Biography

Michael Davidson’s research focuses on the engineering implications of institutional conflicts inherent in deploying renewable energy at scale. He is particularly interested in systems like emerging electricity markets in China, India, and the western United States. Davidson is an associate professor at the School of Global Policy and Strategy and the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the Jacobs School of Engineering. He previously served as the U.S.-China Climate Policy Coordinator for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), an environmental nonprofit. Davidson was a Public Intellectuals Program Fellow of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations from 2021 to 2023. He is a Fulbright Scholar and has received fellowships from the MIT Energy Initiative and the Martin Family Society for Sustainability. Prior to joining UC San Diego, Davidson was a postdoctoral research fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center’s Environment and Natural Resources Program. He received his Ph.D. in engineering systems from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2018, also holds a Master’s in Technology Policy from MIT and has a Bachelor’s in Mathematics-Physics and a Bachelor’s in Japanese Studies from Case Western Reserve University, both awarded in 2008.

Research Interests