Dr. Amir M. Gazar
IGC FELLOW GRADUATE | Global Change Center
VT GRADUATE May 2026 • Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences
Research Interests: Public Health, Environmental Health and Policy Making, Decarbonization, Renewable Energy Systems, Artificial Intelligence
Advisor: Dr. Ryan Calder
amirgazar@vt.edu
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Amir Gazar
Dr. Amir M. Gazar is a Data Scientist with the Australian Government in Canberra, where he applies quantitative modeling and policy analysis to support national evidence-based decision-making. An Australian energy systems modeler and Quad Fellow, he brings to this role a research background spanning environmental health, energy systems, and public policy.
He earned his Ph.D. in the Department of Population Health Sciences at Virginia Tech, working in Dr. Ryan Calder’s lab, after completing a first-class honors degree in environmental engineering at the University of Melbourne. During his doctoral studies, he became the first Virginia Tech graduate student to receive the Quad Fellowship, selected as one of 37 fellows in 2025. The Quad Fellowship is a government-sponsored initiative of Australia, the United States, India, and Japan supporting excellence at the intersection of STEM and public impact.
His doctoral research developed integrated assessment models combining high-resolution, hourly electricity system modeling with environmental health impact analysis and public valuation methods to evaluate the economic, environmental, and reliability tradeoffs of electricity grid decarbonization across the northeastern United States. His work advanced causal inference approaches to strengthen environmental impact assessment, while incorporating deliberative workshops and survey research to integrate community perspectives, uncertainty, and energy security considerations into energy policy design. This research was supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Sloan Leadership Fellowship, and the Virginia Tech Interfaces of Global Change Fellowship.
In the News
International Quad Fellowship Recipient (VT News 2025)
Last updated July 2026.