Key Takeaways
- Priya Donti combines her expertise in computer science with a focus on renewable energy and societal impact.
- Her research aims to improve power grid management and integrate machine learning into renewable energy systems.
- Donti co-founded Climate Change AI, fostering collaboration among various sectors for climate action.
Inspiration from Childhood Experiences
Priya Donti’s motivation to tackle global inequity originated from childhood trips to India. Observing significant disparities compared to her home in Massachusetts ignited her passion for addressing these issues. This resolve was bolstered by a high school biology teacher whose emphasis on climate change’s role in exacerbating inequality left a lasting impact.
As a student at Harvey Mudd College, Donti initially aimed to study chemistry to develop advanced solar technologies. However, her focus shifted to computer science after discovering the role of artificial intelligence in renewable energy management. This intersection inspired her to pursue a PhD at Carnegie Mellon University, where she tailored her studies to include computer science and public policy.
Research with Real-World Impact
During her PhD, Donti delved into the creation of algorithms and tools for managing renewable-heavy power grids. Her approach emphasized collaboration with energy sector professionals, ensuring her research addressed genuine needs.
In parallel, she co-founded Climate Change AI, a nonprofit aimed at bridging various disciplines related to climate and sustainability. This initiative connects computer scientists, academics, policymakers, and affected users, fostering collaboration and resource-sharing to facilitate impactful solutions.
Donti joined MIT in September 2023, drawn by the institute’s commitment to applying technology for social good, particularly in addressing environmental challenges. Her work incorporates deep learning models to optimize renewable energy forecasting and power grid management. She focuses on enhancing algorithms that enable real-time balancing of power systems against fluctuating renewable energy sources.
Among her key advancements is a solution that allows grid operators to optimize costs more effectively, potentially operating ten times faster than existing technologies. Additionally, she is working on generating synthetic datasets for training machine learning systems, addressing the scarcity of accessible data due to privacy and security concerns.
Recognition and Future Endeavors
For her significant contributions, Donti has earned the U.S. Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowship and the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, and accolades such as MIT Technology Review’s “Innovators Under 35.”
Looking ahead, she will co-teach a class titled “AI for Climate Action” in Spring 2024 alongside colleagues focused on AI applications in biodiversity and climate science.
Her experience at MIT has solidified her belief in the importance of impact over traditional success metrics in academic work. Through her research and teaching, Priya Donti aims to develop solutions that meaningfully contribute to the global fight against climate change and inequality.
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