June 16, 2021
Dr. Lirong Liu PhD’19, a graduate of the University of Regina, is a lecturer and researcher on environmental-energy-economic systems for supporting sustainability. Liu has a multidisciplinary background in energy and environment, engineering management and industrial engineering. Liu’s research interests are focused on low carbon energy technologies, environment-energy-economic system analysis, renewable and sustainable energy, energy demand management, and climate change mitigation and adaptation. Liu has produced over 50 refereed journal papers and participated in more than 15 research projects since 2011.
Lirong began her graduate studies in environmental systems engineering at the University of Regina in 2014. A student of Dr. Gordon Huang, Executive Director of the Institute for Energy, Environment and Sustainable Communities and Professor in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, her doctoral research looked at disaggregated modeling of environmental and economic systems for supporting the development of greenhouse gas mitigation policies. During Lirong’s graduate research she developed economic simulations of the impacts of climate change policies on different socio-economic conditions for the Government of Saskatchewan.
Lirong is now working across the ocean as a Lecturer in the Centre for Environment and Sustainability at the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom where she teaches courses on life-cycle analysis, circular economy, and transition to a low carbon economy. Her current research is focused on the resilient transition to net zero in the UK. This involves analyzing the performance of different low carbon technologies at different scales, and studying their environmental, economic, and social impacts to better understand and support sustainable development.
The U of R IEESC is like a second family to Liu and inspires her best research. “My most meaningful experiences at the U of R were the opportunities to participate in various projects where I could communicate and collaborate with people from different sectors. These experiences broadened my horizon and improved my thinking in a more comprehensive way.” She is proud that her work and research in sustainability have built an environment for cooperation with people from various disciplines and backgrounds, to help solve practical, real-world problems around the world.