Jordan Kern

Assistant Professor

Since starting at NC State, Jordan Kern’s group has been funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Bezos Earth Fund, and the State of North Carolina. In 2022, he was awarded the NSF CAREER award. 

Kern has served as an expert witness for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Energy, Climate, and Grid Security, and served as an expert on a White House Office of Science and Technology Policy panel concerning the potential role of artificial intelligence in managing energy systems. His group’s research has been featured in national media (NPR, LA Times, TIME, Vox, the Hill, Wired, and the Guardian).

Research Interests

Kern’s research tries to advance optimal design and management of energy systems, with a special focus on: 1) building high-fidelity models of bulk electric power systems; 2) simulating system dynamics under uncertainty and stress (e.g., extreme weather and/or physical attack); and 3) informing optimal decision making around capital investment and short-term operations to meet cost and reliability objectives. Much of Kern’s work is aimed at supporting real-world decision-making, and his group frequently interacts and collaborates with stakeholders (e.g., electric power utilities).

Education

DegreeProgramSchoolYear
Ph.D.Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Sciences and EngineeringUNC-Chapel Hill2014
MSESEMaster of Science in Environmental Sciences and EngineeringUNC-Chapel Hill2010
BSESBachelor of Science in Environmental SciencesUNC-Chapel Hill2007

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Jordan Kern