Dr. Valerie Thomas

Biography

Valerie Thomas is the Anderson Interface Chair in Natural Systems with a joint appointment in the School of Industrial and Systems Engineering and the School of Public Policy at Georgia Institute of Technology. Her research interests encompass energy systems, sustainability, industrial ecology, technology assessment, international security, and science technology policy. Currently, she is engaged in research projects focusing on low carbon freight transportation systems, the environmental impacts of food systems, and energy development in Africa. Valerie earned her Bachelor of Arts in Physics from Swarthmore College and her Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics from Cornell University. She has a robust background as a post-doctoral Research Fellow at Carnegie Mellon University in the Department of Engineering and Public Policy, as well as experience as a Research Scientist at Princeton University within the Princeton Environmental Institute. She has also served as a Lecturer at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. Throughout her career, she has received numerous accolades including being a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Physical Society. Valerie has actively participated in multiple advisory roles, including members of the EPA Science Advisory Board and the USDA/DOE Biomass R&D Technical Advisory Committee.

Research Interests

Courses