Parth Vaishnav

Parth Vaishnav is an Assistant Professor of Sustainable Systems at the University of Michigan's School for Environment and Sustainability. His research aims to understand how technology can help solve social problems. Much of his work focuses on the environmental and human health consequences of energy production and use. He employs quantitative decision analysis, buttressed by qualitative insight, to understand how economic, political, and operational realities constrain technology deployment. He focuses on finding strategies to decarbonize the economy, and to adapt to the warming that has and will occur even if we cut greenhouse gas emissions very rapidly. He is particularly interested in finding ways to make both mitigation and adaptation equitable. His projects fall into two broad categories: (1) The environmental consequences of electrification, and (2) The consequences of automation for the environment, equity, and work.

Dr. Vaishnav teaches two courses that might be of interest to STPP students. One is on sustainable transportation (EAS 501.091) and is taught in the second half of the Winter 2022 semester. The other, called Climate Change Science and Solutions (also EAS 501.091) is taught in Fall 2021, and covers climate change science, impacts, mitigation, and adaptation.