Dr. Bobuchi Ken-Opurum is a highly qualified and experienced people-centered researcher focused on climate resilience, energy equity, and urban health and wellbeing, fostering sustainable and systemic change. As Research Director at the Building Electrification Institute (BEI), she leads research that supports cities and stakeholders in prioritizing marginalized communities in climate and building decarbonization solutions. Her approach emphasizes co-creation with vulnerable populations, envisioning healthy, inclusive, climate-resilient communities. Dr. Bobuchi Ken-Opurum created the [Re-HOUSED Multi-criteria Decision Support toolkit ](https://www.re-housed.tools/)that helps self-builders in the tropical Global South in implementing viable and feasible flooding and heat stress resilience design solutions in housing. She holds a Ph.D. in Architecture-Engineering-Construction Management from Carnegie Mellon, an MS from Columbia University, and a BS from Purdue University. Her contributions earned her a spot on the 2023 Forbes 30 Under 30 list, and she’s named one of Grist Magazine’s “50 climate leaders driving fresh solutions to our planet's biggest problems.” She also serves as an author for the Sixth National Climate Assessment (NCA6), contributing to the Climate Effects on U.S. National Security chapter. The NCA6, an interagency effort, is the U.S. Government’s authoritative report on climate change impacts, risks, and adaptation across the nation. Previously, as Director of Research at the Texas Energy Poverty Research Institute (TEPRI), she led pivotal projects advancing clean, resilient energy access for underserved communities, including Texas’s first Statewide Community Voices in Energy Survey Reports. Her work consistently drives inclusive, sustainable climate solutions.

Bobuchi Ken-Opurum, Ph.D.

People-centered researcher in the climate-energy nexus.

Research Expertise

Climate Resilience

Energy

Sustainability

Construction Management

Decision Science

About

Publications

Protocol for Post Occupancy Evaluation in Schools to Improve Indoor Environmental Quality and Energy Efficiency

Sustainability / May 03, 2020

Cochran Hameen, E., Ken-Opurum, B., & Son, Y. J. (2020). Protocol for Post Occupancy Evaluation in Schools to Improve Indoor Environmental Quality and Energy Efficiency. Sustainability, 12(9), 3712. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12093712

A synthesis and review of exacerbated inequities from the February 2021 winter storm (Uri) in Texas and the risks moving forward

Progress in Energy / Jan 01, 2023

Castellanos, S., Potts, J., Tiedmann, H., Alverson, S., Glazer, Y. R., Robison, A., Russo, S., Harmon, D., Ken-Opurum, B., Weisz, M., Acuna, F., Stephens, K. K., Faust, K., & Webber, M. E. (2023). A synthesis and review of exacerbated inequities from the February 2021 winter storm (Uri) in Texas and the risks moving forward. Progress in Energy, 5(1), 012003. https://doi.org/10.1088/2516-1083/aca9b4

Rapid Research and Assessment on COVID-19 and Climate in New York City

Journal of Extreme Events / May 14, 2021

Kyrkjebo, N., Parris, A., Barnes, J., Azaroff, I., Balk, D., Baptista, A. I., Braneon, C., Calabrese, W., Codrington, T., Colon, J., Gandhi, F., George, M., Groffman, P., Gundlach, J., Carr, R. H., Holt, N., Horton, R., Jahangir, A., Ken-Opurum, B., … Wagner, G. (2021). Rapid Research and Assessment on COVID-19 and Climate in New York City. Journal of Extreme Events, 08(02). https://doi.org/10.1142/s234573762150010x

Acknowledgment to the Reviewers of Buildings in 2022

Buildings / Jan 17, 2023

(2023). Acknowledgment to the Reviewers of Buildings in 2022. Buildings, 13(2), 269. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13020269

Deconstructing Heat Stress: Communicating Bottom-Up Heat Stress Resilience for Self-build Housing in Nigeria

Communities / Jan 01, 2021

KEN-OPURUM, B., COHON, J., HAMEEN, E. C., LEE, J. D., & CLINTON, E. (2021). Deconstructing Heat Stress: Communicating Bottom-Up Heat Stress Resilience for Self-build Housing in Nigeria. Communities, 85–93. https://doi.org/10.35483/acsa.aia.inter.21.13

Designing an Appropriate Climate Health Interface for Guided Self-Diagnosis in Low-income Communities within Nigeria

2020 IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference (GHTC) / Oct 29, 2020

Ken-Opurum, W., Ken-Opurum, B., & Idahosa, A. (2020). Designing an Appropriate Climate Health Interface for Guided Self-Diagnosis in Low-income Communities within Nigeria. 2020 IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference (GHTC), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1109/ghtc46280.2020.9342872

Education

Carnegie Mellon University

PhD, Architecture-Engineering -Construction Management / April, 2022

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America

Columbia University

Master of Science, Sustainability Management

New York, New York, United States of America

Experience

Building Electrification Institute

Research Director / 2024 — Present

Texas Energy Poverty Research Institute

Director of Research / 2022 — 2024

Links & Social Media

Research Web Site

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