Alex Nutkiewicz

Alex Nutkiewicz is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering and a member of the Urban Informatics Lab. Alex is interested in understanding how urban environments can influence building energy consumption and how those insights can drive energy-efficient design and retrofits. Her research integrates physics-based simulation models and machine learning algorithms to accurately predict building energy use at multiple temporal and spatial scales. She is also involved in a project based in Dharavi, Mumbai, India that is exploring how to enhance proposed redevelopment plans for informal settlements to improve occupant living conditions. At Stanford, she recently designed and taught a course in ethical and effective foreign service. This class culminated in her leading a team of 6 engineering students to the Dolakha District of Nepal, where, in collaboration with a local non-profit, they developed a masterplan and 2 schematic designs for a new eco-village to be built in one of the regions most devastated by the 2015 Nepal earthquakes.

A native to the Los Angeles area, Alex is passionate about how the design of the built environment contributes to human and environmental well-being. She holds a BS in Sustainable Engineering from Stanford, where she also studied mechanical engineering and architecture. During her time in undergrad, she was a coxswain for the Women's Lightweight Rowing Team and was an Architectural Lead in Stanford's 2013 entry to the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon, where her team finished 5th out of 20 teams. Alex has published in several academic journals and was recently featured for her work in urban energy simulation as a winner of a Best Paper award at the 2018 International Conference on Applied Energy in Hong Kong.