Valerie Karplus
Associate Director, Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation
Professor, Engineering and Public Policy
Valerie Karplus is a professor in the Department of Engineering and Public Policy and associate director at the Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation.
Karplus studies resource and environmental management in organizations operating in diverse national and industry contexts, with a focus on the role of institutions and management practices in explaining performance. Areas of expertise include innovation in global corporate and industrial supply chains, regional approaches to workforce and economic revitalization, and the integrated design and evaluation of public policies. Karplus has taught courses on public policy analysis, global business strategy and organization, entrepreneurship, and the political economy of energy transitions. At CMU, she runs the Laboratory for Energy and Organizations. Karplus is also a faculty affiliate of the MIT Energy Initiative, the MIT Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research, and the MIT Center for Sustainability Science and Strategy.
She has previously worked in the development policy section of the German Federal Foreign Office in Berlin, Germany, as a Robert Bosch Foundation Fellow, and in the biotechnology industry in Beijing, China, as a Luce Scholar. From 2011 to 2016, she co-founded and directed the MIT-Tsinghua China Energy and Climate Project a five-year research effort focused on analyzing the design of energy and climate change policy in China, and its domestic and global impacts. Karplus previously served on the faculty at the MIT Sloan School of Management.
Karplus holds a BS in biochemistry and political science from Yale University and a Ph.D. in engineering systems from MIT.
Education
Ph.D., Engineering Systems, MIT
B.S., Biochemistry and Political Science, Yale University
Media mentions
Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation
decarbSTEEL: From classroom to conference debut
decarbSTEEL is a CISR-Scott Institute joint initiative to support decarbonization in the iron and steelmaking industry.
Engineering and Public Policy
Industrial evolution: EPP researchers simulate workforce impact
Researchers in Carnegie Mellon University’s Department of Engineering and Public Policy have developed a generalizable approach for analyzing the impact of decarbonization scenarios on a region’s workforce.
CMU Engineering
To ensure energy audits help climate goals, target emissions
Energy audits can be a useful tool for reducing industrial emissions, but new research co-led by Valerie Karplus found that clear climate-specific goals are a vital part of the equation.
Canary Media
Karplus quoted on EU energy plan
EPP’s Valerie Karplus was quoted in Canary Media about how Europe’s efforts to strengthen and decarbonize its energy supply could motivate other countries to follow their example.
CMU Engineering
Accelerating green steel
In an annual gathering at CMU, global decarbonization leaders worked toward tackling the challenge of decarbonizing steel production while meeting increasing world-wide demand.
Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation
A letter from the directors
Scott Institute Director Costa Samaras, Associate Director Valerie Karplus, and Executive Director Daniel Tkacik reflect on the past year.
Engineering and Public Policy
EPP research will help workers navigate evolving technology
Carnegie Mellon was awarded a $500,000 planning grant from the Appalachian Regional Initiative for Stronger Economies (ARISE) to analyze the skills of the regional workforce and develop tools to match workers with jobs.
CMU Engineering
EPP research will help workers navigate evolving technology
A regional team led by EPP researchers has received ARISE funding to analyze the workforce of North and North-Central Appalachia and develop tools to match workers’ skills with evolving industry needs.
CMU Engineering
Hubs: A step towards a hydrogen future?
Hydrogen is sometimes considered a secret ingredient in the recipe for a net-zero future. As a team of Carnegie Mellon researchers points out, hydrogen offers many advantages, but it’s not a panacea.
The Hill
Karplus quoted on nuclear energy for AI
EPP’s Valerie Karplus was quoted by The Hill on major technology companies using nuclear energy in order to power their AI systems while being conscious of the environment.
Axios
Karplus quoted on the uncertainties and potentials of green hydrogen
EPP’s Valerie Karplus spoke with Axios about the viability and costs of green hydrogen.
Engineering and Public Policy
INDABA partnership convenes industry stakeholders in Beijing, tours decarbonized iron production
Researchers from Carnegie Mellon and Tsinghua Universities met in July with academic and industry partners in Beijing, where they examined ways to accelerate the decarbonization of the iron and steel industry, focusing on China.