Athanasios Bourtsalas, Columbia University Lecturer International Affairs Coordinator
Education
Athansios Bourtsalas received his five-year Diploma in Electrical and Computer Engineering, from the University of Patras, Greece, and his M.Sc. from the Earth & Environmental Engineering Department of Columbia University. He undertook his Ph.D. studies in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Imperial College London.
Research Interest
Sustainable Development, Urban Metabolism, Systems Thinking and Multi-Dimensional Valuation Approaches, Materials Resources Engineering, Circular Economy, Resource Efficiency, Material Flow Analysis, Life Cycle Analysis, Technoeconomic Assessment, Sustainable Waste Management, Energy Systems, Industrial Ecology-Symbiosis.
He is an International Affairs Coordinator & Senior Researcher at the UNESCO Chair on Green Innovation and Circular Economy of the National Technical University of Athens.
Athanasios Bourtsalas is a Lecturer and the Acting Director at the Earth Engineering Center of the Columbia University, where he investigates ways and technologies for managing impacts associated with anthropogenic activities and advancing sustainable development and the circular economy. His work has been both experimental and analytical and, in this area, he has been recognized as a specialist by the UN, the IFC/World Bank, and the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment of Singapore.
His projects focus on system-level technoeconomic and life cycle assessment with emphasis on identifying the intersections between systems capabilities, economics, environment, and regulations, and their position within the local, regional, and global landscape. One of his objectives has been on understanding and improving the performance of systems and engineering clean cycles and safe final sinks by implementing innovation to emerging technologies and evaluating whether these are commercially viable (or what is needed to make these solutions successful). Also, a lot of emphasis is on developing tools to support resource efficiency and rational decision-making about the use of technologies for sustainable development and the circular economy.
International collaborations and interactions with major stakeholders engaged with sustainable development, are a significant part of his work through the global network of the Global WTERT Council (GWC), which he has represented as a Vice President in several activities worldwide, such as China, India, Indonesia, Chile, and Colombia. As part of his work with the GWC, he has conducted due diligence studies for emerging technologies, has advised the investment strategies of both private and public entities, and has developed valuation models for waste management deals.