{"688055":{"#nid":"688055","#data":{"type":"news","title":"SEI Initiative Lead Profile: Jennifer Chirico","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/jennifer-chirico\u0022\u003EJennifer Chirico\u003C\/a\u003E leads the energy and infrastructure initiative at Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.research.gatech.edu\/energy\u0022\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E. She is a longtime Yellow Jacket, bringing more than 25 years of sustainability experience as the inaugural associate vice president of Sustainability at Georgia Tech. In this role, she oversees the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustain.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EOffice of Sustainability\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and works across the Institute on emissions reductions, clean energy, water management, circular economy, sustainable technology, and strategy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EChirico led the development and publication of the Institute\u2019s first\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustain.gatech.edu\/climate-action-plan\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EClimate Action Plan\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and co-led Tech\u2019s sustainability plan,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustain.gatech.edu\/sustainability-next-plan\/\u0022\u003ESustainability Next\u003C\/a\u003E. She is LEED Green Associate (Leed GA) accredited and holds certifications in the Carbon Disclosure Project, the Global Reporting Initiative, WaterSense, climate action planning, and Home Energy Survey Professional.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe holds a Ph.D. in public policy from Georgia Tech, a master\u2019s in public health with a major in environmental health, and a bachelor\u2019s degree in management from Georgia Tech. She has published books and written numerous chapters on sustainability related to systems thinking, net zero strategies, adaptive management, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on leadership for the collective well-being.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBelow is a brief Q\u0026amp;A with Chirico in which she discusses her focus areas and how her work at Georgia Tech influences the energy and infrastructure initiative here.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat is your field of expertise, and at what point in your life did you first become interested in this area?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMy field of expertise is sustainability, with a focus on the intersection of environmental, social, and economic systems. Although I began my career in finance, I discovered my passion for sustainability during a year I spent working abroad in New Zealand in 2000. That experience opened my eyes to the importance of balancing economic development with environmental stewardship and social responsibility. When I returned to the United States, I pursued a master\u2019s degree in environmental health, followed by a Ph.D. in environmental policy. Over the past 25 years, I\u2019ve dedicated my career to advancing sustainability and creating meaningful impacts. I continue to be inspired by the tangible, positive results that emerge when organizations integrate sustainability principles into their decision-making.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat questions or challenges sparked your current work at Georgia Tech? What are the big issues facing the campus infrastructure right now as it relates to energy?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of the most pressing challenges today is strengthening resilience for our infrastructure, well-being, and natural resources. As our environment continues to change, the ability to both mitigate impacts and adapt effectively is essential to our success. In my work, I am committed to advancing a healthier, safer, and more sustainable campus. Much of my work focuses on planning, reporting, and guiding efforts to build a stable, reliable, and clean energy infrastructure. A major part of this involves balancing firm energy sources with intermittent renewable sources in a way that ensures both reliability and sustainability. Georgia Tech has already made meaningful progress by installing over 1 megawatt of solar capacity and piloting the Stryten battery storage system. These projects demonstrate what is possible. We still have a long way to go to reduce our emissions and scale clean energy solutions across campus. Continuing to strengthen our energy resilience and expand renewable integration will be critical to meeting our long\u2011term goals.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat interests you the most about leading the energy and infrastructure initiative? Why is your initiative important to Georgia Tech\u2019s energy goals?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat interests me most is the opportunity to collaborate with some of the nation\u2019s top energy researchers to identify the most resilient, scalable, and forward\u2011thinking energy solutions for our campus. I\u2019m particularly passionate about bridging the gap between research and operations to support turning innovative work into tangible, real\u2011world applications that strengthen Georgia Tech\u2019s infrastructure. Building strong partnerships across academics, operations, and industry is central to this effort. When these groups work together, we can accelerate progress, pilot new technologies, and create a living-learning campus that demonstrates what a resilient, low\u2011carbon future can look like.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat are the broader regional, global, and social benefits of the energy and infrastructure initiative at Georgia Tech?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt creates benefits that reach far beyond our campus. By implementing clean, resilient energy systems, we contribute to regional progress in the Southeast. Our campus can serve as a model and test bed, demonstrating scalable solutions and sharing best practices with peer institutions, local governments, and industry partners. Globally, our research and operational innovations support the broader transition to cleaner, more reliable energy systems. And socially, these efforts promote healthier communities, reduce environmental burdens, and help prepare a skilled workforce for the rapidly growing energy sector.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat are your hobbies?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMy favorite hobbies are hiking, reading, yoga, and paddleboarding. I also love spending time in nature and with family and friends.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/jennifer-chirico\u0022\u003EJennifer Chirico\u003C\/a\u003E leads the energy and infrastructure initiative at Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.research.gatech.edu\/energy\u0022\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E. She is a longtime Yellow Jacket, bringing more than 25 years of sustainability experience as the inaugural associate vice president of Sustainability at Georgia Tech. In this role, she oversees the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustain.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EOffice of Sustainability\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and works across the Institute on emissions reductions, clean energy, water management, circular economy, sustainable technology, and strategy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is a brief Q\u0026amp;A with Chirico in which she discusses her focus areas and how her work at Georgia Tech influences the energy and infrastructure initiative here.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A brief Q\u0026A with Jennifer Chirico, who leads the energy and infrastructure initiative at Georgia Tech\u2019s Strategic Energy Institute. "}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-02-05 20:54:20","changed_gmt":"2026-02-05 20:55:40","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-05T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-05T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679201":{"id":"679201","type":"image","title":"Jennifer Chirico","body":null,"created":"1770324628","gmt_created":"2026-02-05 20:50:28","changed":"1770324677","gmt_changed":"2026-02-05 20:51:17","alt":"Jennifer Chirico","file":{"fid":"263332","name":"JenniferChirico23-R10406-P45-006.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/05\/JenniferChirico23-R10406-P45-006.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/05\/JenniferChirico23-R10406-P45-006.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":805166,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/05\/JenniferChirico23-R10406-P45-006.jpeg?itok=ls1dH7Fk"}}},"media_ids":["679201"],"groups":[{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EPriya Devarajan\u003C\/a\u003E || SEI Communications Program Manager\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}