Nirmala Bhat

Nirmala Bhat is a graduate student researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where she is pursuing dual Master's degrees in Technology and Policy, as well as Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. She has been involved with the MIT Energy Initiative since August 2022, focusing on energy policy, renewable energy technologies, and the impact of low/zero carbon electricity generation on grid reliability.1

Education

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Master of Science in Technology and Policy (2022 - 2025)
- Master of Science in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (2023 - 2025)
Mississippi State University
- Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (2018 - 2022), graduated with a 4.00 GPA

Research Interests

Nirmala's research interests include:

Energy transition policy
Renewable energy technologies, particularly solar and off-grid systems
Environmental justice and immigration policy

Professional Experience

Graduate Student Researcher at MIT Energy Initiative (2022 - Present)
- Investigating the economic impacts of sustainable aviation fuel production and optimizing grid investment decisions.
Student Advocacy Corps Intern at Woodward Hines Education Foundation (2021 - 2022)
- Conducted research on barriers to college access for immigrant children.
Government Affairs Intern at Trout Unlimited (2021)
- Drafted legislative summaries and contributed to advocacy efforts related to environmental conservation.
Undergraduate Research Assistant at Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems (2020)
- Developed steel samples for testing related to Martian surface applications.