Omar Isaac Asensio

Dr. Omar I. Asensio is an Associate Professor in the School of Public Policy and Director of the Data Science & Policy Lab at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He is a faculty affiliate at the Institute for Data Engineering & Science (IDEaS), the Machine Learning Center, and the Strategic Energy Institute. He is a Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS) Faculty Fellow. For the 2023-2024 academic year, Professor Asensio is on leave as a climate fellow at Harvard Business School.

Professor Asensio's research focuses on climate and electrification strategies at the intersection of technology, AI, and sustainability. His work uses statistical and computational tools to advance our understanding of how large-scale data and field experiments can be used to increase civic participation, while addressing pressing resource conservation and environmental sustainability challenges. Professor Asensio’s research has been published in leading journals such as Nature Energy, Nature Sustainability, and PNAS. His research and teaching have been supported by awards from the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. State Department Diplomacy Lab, Microsoft and ESRI. Professor Asensio's research also has been featured in policy advisory communications by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the European Commission, NSF Public Affairs, the World Bank, and national governments—including the U.K., and the IndiaAI initiative. He contributed to the Zero Emissions Vehicles (ZEV) policy guidance for COP26 and the Glasgow Climate Pact. 

Dr. Asensio is a member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM), New Voices 2021 cohort. He has received multiple awards for his research including the National Science Foundation CAREER award, the Alliance for Research on Corporate Sustainability (ARCS) Emerging Sustainability Scholar Award, the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM) 40-for-40 fellowship, and the NBS Research Impact on Practice award by the Academy of Management ONE Division. Professor Asensio serves as an Associate Editor of the Data and Policy journal, published by Cambridge University Press. He holds a doctorate in environmental science & engineering with specialties in economics from UCLA. Professor Asensio is a faculty participant in the Research University Alliance (RUA) Research Exchange and is engaged in multiple activities to increase the representation of women and under-represented students and professionals in STEM fields. For more information, visit https://datasciencepolicy.gatech.edu