Chibulu (Lulu) Luo listed among seven University of Toronto graduates to watch in 2021
PhD, civil engineering
“I am passionate about using my engineering skills to address global challenges,” says Chibulu (Lulu) Luo.
Luo’s doctoral research examined current and future trends of energy use and greenhouse gas emissions in one of Africa’s largest and fastest growing cities: Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.
“What was most exciting about my research was the opportunity to explore important sustainability and energy sector questions and conduct extensive fieldwork in Dar es Salaam,” says Luo. “I appreciate the fact that I led doctoral work that both aligns with this passion and aims to inform policies and investments for improved energy access and societal well-being in developing countries.”
In Dar es Salaam, Luo coordinated a diverse team of local graduate students who helped to administer her research survey to more than 1,300 households across the city. Her research has also taken her to Ghana, Zambia and Rwanda.
She says one of her proudest moments during her time at U of T Engineering was helping to lead the faculty’s Engineering Education for Sustainable Cities in Africa (EESC-A) project.
“I still have fond memories of 2018, a time when two of my EESC-A colleagues travelled from Toronto to Dar es Salaam to mark EESC-A’s presence at a policy workshop that I was planning as part of my fieldwork,” she recalls. “My memory is still painted with the joyous image of our after-workshop dinner and celebration at a beachfront restaurant in Dar es Salaam.”
Luo is currently working as a consultant with the World Bank’s Climate Investment Funds, providing research and strategic expertise to various renewable energy projects around the world.
She says she’s not entirely sure what the future holds, but “I certainly want to continue fuelling my passion for research, teaching and topics that are globally relevant and significant.”
Source: University of Toronto