New Zealand Centre for Sustainable Cities

Dr. Krumdieck studied Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at UC Boulder, and worked on wind turbine control systems and solar system testing and certification. She earned a Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1989 at Arizona State University in the field of Energy Systems Engineering. After working as an energy consultant she was a contract researcher for NREL characterizing the combustion of biomass derived oil. She earned the PhD from University of Colorado at Boulder in 1999 in high temperature materials for energy systems and fuel cells.

Dr. Krumdieck joined the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Canterbury in 2000 to pursue her interests in energy systems and sustainability. Susan received a prestigious RSNZ Marsden Fund Research Grant in 2003. She is a member of the Royal Society and was appointed a member of the RSNZ Energy Panel in 2005. She serves on the board of ASPONZ and on the UC Vice Chancellor’s Sustainability Committee. She is also a founding member of NERI and serves on the NERI Management Committee.

Susan’s energy research focuses on innovations aimed at continuity of human activities and wellbeing within the constraints of environment and resource availability. The work aims to develop sustainability metrics, engineering fundamentals for low-fossil energy systems, and bridging technologies and control systems to manage the transition to sustainable systems. This is a truly innovative approach with new ideas receiving acclaim at international meetings and conferences. She has a good record of attracting funding for her novel research ideas, garnering more than $2.5 million NZD in research funding to date. She has published 55 peer reviewed papers, has three patents, and has been an invited keynote speaker at more than 40 workshops, conferences and seminars in the past four years. She also has a large group of research students (10 PhD’s currently).