Women in STEM Spotlight: Valerie Karplus
Valerie Karplus is a leading expert and catalyst in the intersection of energy innovation, the decarbonization of global supply chains, and climate policies. As a co-founder and director of the MIT-Tsinghua China Energy and Climate Project trying to solve one of the most daunting challenges facing the earth, she helped enable a whole new generation of leaders from MIT, Tsinghua, and other collaborating groups to lead on energy and climate issues worldwide. The effort not only contributed to the 2014 US-China Joint Announcement on Climate Change, it also generated strong momentum for other countries to join and culminated in the landmark 2015 Paris Climate Agreement.
Valerie is a professor at Carnegie Mellon University's Department of Engineering and Public Policy, where she runs the Laboratory for Energy and Organizations. Additionally, she serves as the Associate Director of the Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation. Valerie double majored in biochemistry and political science as an undergrad at Yale University. She later earned her Ph.D. in engineering systems from MIT.
1. You have bachelor’s degrees in biochemistry and political science from Yale University, and a Ph.D. in engineering systems from MIT. That’s a rare combination. Can you share why you pursued these degrees?
Growing up, I was passionate about chemistry and biology. I would spend long hours making detailed scientific drawings and meticulously recording chemical equations and experiments in my lab notebook. At Yale, I pursued my interests in these fields but also became fascinated by how impactful decisions happen in diverse policy and business settings across the world. I completed my senior thesis in political science on what was driving the development of agricultural biotechnology in several emerging countries. The gap between the natural and social sciences was sometimes difficult to bridge, both socially and logistically (as there were a large number of courses required!), but I’m glad I did it. The experience has taught me how to work more effectively across disciplines, which requires confidence in one's knowledge and humility to recognize boundaries. It also instilled in me the importance of effective communication and team dynamics when trying to solve problems across different industries and fields.
2. From 2011-2016, you co-founded the MIT-Tsinghua China Energy and Climate Project (CECP) and specialized in the design of energy and climate change policy in China. How did the idea come about? And what are you most proud of from this initiative?
As is often the case, timing mattered tremendously. I was just finishing my Ph.D. at MIT when several faculty mentors secured the initial funding to launch a collaboration between the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change and the Institute of Energy, Environment, and Economy at Tsinghua University in China. The MIT-Tsinghua China Energy and Climate Project (CECP) aimed to analyze China’s energy, climate, and environmental policies by developing new models, data sets, and approaches. The collaboration involved the faculty, students, and staff at MIT and Tsinghua University working regularly and intensively together to carry out the research.
I had long been eager to return to work on environmental and climate change topics in China. As an undergrad, I founded and served as editor of The Yale Globalist, a student international affairs magazine. Ever since, I have been keenly aware of China’s growing influence, particularly in agriculture and food security, environmental sustainability, and science and technology policy.
The opportunity to lead the CECP would build on my prior experiences as a Luce Scholar and visiting scientist in China. Before pursuing my Ph.D., I worked outside Beijing’s Fifth Ring Road at China Agricultural Universityfor a year. My work there, plus my experience as a Luce Scholar and my senior undergrad thesis, led me to write a book, Agricultural Biotechnology in China: Origins and Prospects. My field research took me to a wide range of settings, from villages to laboratories to boardrooms, across many parts of China over almost four years, prior to starting my graduate study in 2006. And so it was upon completion of my Ph.D., which focused on energy and climate change policy, I returned to China to co-lead the MIT-Tsinghua CECP with Prof. Xiliang Zhang, the Tsinghua Project Director. I am most proud of how we enabled a new generation of young researchers to develop a strong mutual understanding of China's energy system and climate policy options. Many of these young researchers from MIT, Tsinghua, and other collaborating groups are now in leadership positions on energy and climate issues worldwide. Thanks to that shared experience and collaboration, many of them work together and maintain regular contact to this day.
I am also very proud of our team's impact. Our analysis was one of many inputs to the U.S.-China dialogue on energy and climate issues that resulted in the 2014 US-China Joint Announcement on Climate Change. This in turn generated strong momentum for other countries to join and culminated in the landmark 2015 Paris Climate Agreement.
MIT-Tsinghua China Energy and Climate Project Team
3. You are now a tenured professor teaching Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). That’s certainly a very impressive accomplishment. Among so many options, why did you choose an academic career?
An academic career offers me great latitude to pursue the topics that I find most important—difficult questions that often have far-reaching implications for society. For me, this is exploring the needed changes in energy and industrial systems for addressing the climate challenge, and how these changes can benefit society. Not only can I do my research in areas that excite me, but I can also work in partnership with others in academia, business, policy, and other community stakeholders who also share the same interests and expertise. Of course, being a professor also allows me some flexibility, especially over breaks, to pursue my many hobbies – such as painting – which is especially fun to do with my three-year-old son.
Let me also share a few words about the Department of Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon, which I believe is a very special department. We focus on policy issues where the technical details really matter, bringing our various combinations of disciplinary expertise to bear on understanding issues and developing solutions. So many real-world problems require both “bricks” and “mortar” – ideas that emerge from deep within disciplines and those that recognize and connect across them. While EPP is part of the engineering school, we have faculty who are jointly appointed or have courtesy appointments in other schools campuswide. I’ve particularly appreciated this cross-disciplinary dimension in academia, which I experienced at both CMU and MIT.
I only once seriously considered an alternative career path – in venture capital. I spent the summer of 2008 working for the DFJ DragonFund in Shanghai, researching the nascent market for electric vehicle battery storage manufacturers. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, but as I mentioned before, timing is (sometimes) everything.
2008 was the year of recession. The crisis in the global markets led to much uncertainty. It became quickly clear that any plans for a clean energy fund would be put on hold. This led me to return to the United States to start – and stick with – my Ph.D. studies at MIT.
4. As an expert on global energy policy and industry decarbonization, how do you think your experience in Asia and Europe has helped your work today?
Asia and Europe are integral to climate solutions for the industrial sector. Both regions play major roles in innovation in industrial supply chains and in the quest for policy as well as organization and business models to support deep decarbonization.
In addition to working extensively in China, I spent time in Germany as a 2004-2005 Bosch Fellow, where I worked at the German Federal Foreign Office and KfW Development Bank. While much of my actual work focused on topics unrelated to industrial sector decarbonization, I gained language skills, cultural awareness, and knowledge of the political, social, and economic systems in both countries and surrounding regions. That education has been indispensable to my current work. More importantly, the strong friendships and networks built from those experiences have also proven extraordinarily helpful on many occasions for conducting research, reaching important policy audiences, or navigating misunderstandings.
Several years ago, strong connections to researchers in China and Germany – as well as in South Africa – made it possible to put together the Industrial Decarbonization Analysis, Benchmarking, and Action (INDABA) partnership. Through this effort we evaluated decarbonization solutions for some of the highest emitting industries – steel, cement, and chemicals – in four major industrial countries and their supply chains worldwide. The INDABA partnership, which also involves regular interaction with industry, government, and nonprofits, is now funded with $1.5 million from the U.S. National Science Foundation and, in many ways, builds on and broadens the legacy of the MIT-Tsinghua CECP.
5. How do you make the case for closing the gender gap in your area of work? Why does it matter?
Closing the gender gap – in fields of energy and climate change as well as more broadly – is absolutely essential. Intrinsically, we should be valuing each individual for their unique strengths and the lived experiences they bring – rather than focusing on gender or any other category. However social biases often prevent that from happening. As a result, gender and other gaps cause us to miss out on insights and perspectives that can help us answer questions and find solutions that are clearly in the broader interest of society. It also alienates people from underrepresented groups from pursuing careers in this field and collectively undermines our motivation to work collaboratively for a better world.
6. What advice would you give to young women in college who are considering a STEM major or career path?
First, I encourage young women to be as honest as possible with themselves about what is shaping or driving their decision making. Naming external influences can ensure that they don’t receive outsized consideration without conscious consent. This process can be hard, and can benefit from counseling and mentorship – ideally from multiple sources. Second, don’t be afraid to commit yourself to a path if it fascinates and excites you. Don’t be deterred if at times it feels somewhat uncomfortable, perhaps because you don’t feel qualified. Allow yourself to gain the mental muscle memory of what it feels like to fall short of your and others’ expectations, and remember that this feeling is temporary. Then step right back into your role and be confident that is where you belong.
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