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[[File:Kesubynicole.jpg|200px|thumb|left|by Nicole Keshav, 2018]]
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=Using computer science to address the climate crisis=
  
'''About me'''
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[[File:SKp-Chicken.jpg |250px|thumb|left|In Paradise, by Nicole Keshav, 2025]]
  
Professor and [http://fellows.acm.org/ ACM Fellow] in the [http://www.cs.uwaterloo.ca Cheriton School of Computer Science] at the [http://www.uwaterloo.ca University of Waterloo].
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I'm the Robert Sansom Professor of Computer Science at the [https://www.cst.cam.ac.uk/ Department of Computer Science and Technology], [https://www.cam.ac.uk/ University of Cambridge], and a Professorial Fellow at [https://www.fitz.cam.ac.uk/ Fitzwilliam College]. I'm also a Fellow of the [http://www.rsc-src.ca Royal Society of Canada], [https://www.acm.org ACM], and [https://www.ieee.org IEEE].
  
Pronunciation links: [http://www.pronouncenames.com/pronounce/Srinivasan Srinivasan] [http://www.pronouncenames.com/search?name=keshav Keshav] (Keshav is my first name, though syntactically last).
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'''What I believe'''
  
My [http://iss4e.ca research] lies at the intersection of computer science and energy, with a focus on [http://blizzard.cs.uwaterloo.ca/sirius blockchains] for [https://theconversation.com/how-blockchain-can-democratize-green-power-87861 transactive energy], [http://blizzard.cs.uwaterloo.ca/iss4e/energy-storage-modeling-and-operation/ energy storage modeling], and [http://blizzard.cs.uwaterloo.ca/iss4e/smart-offices/ smart offices].
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We're in a race against time. Climate change and biodiversity loss threaten civilization, yet we have unprecedented computational and observational capabilities. My work is driven by a simple conviction: '''computer science can—and must—be a force for planetary good.'''
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I care about building systems that work, training students who will lead the next generation of climate-informed technologists, and creating open resources that democratize access to environmental intelligence.
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'''Right now, I'm most excited about two projects:'''
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'''[https://svr-sk818-web.cl.cam.ac.uk/tessera/index.php/Main_Page TESSERA]''' — A global, open, 10-meter resolution foundation model for Earth observation. We're making planetary-scale environmental monitoring accessible to anyone with a laptop. TESSERA processes satellite imagery to detect deforestation, monitor ecosystems, and track land use changes. It's being used by conservation organizations, researchers, and governments worldwide. [https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.20380 Read the paper] or listen to this [https://svr-sk818-web.cl.cam.ac.uk/keshav/wiki/images/9/9d/TESSERA.m4a NotebookLM-generated podcast] explaining it.
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'''Energy Informatics''' — I'm writing a free, open-source textbook. I'm using Quarto, VSCode, and modern collaborative tools to make it not just a book, but a living hub for the energy informatics community. I'll be releasing chapters on GitHub as I write them, with the first one ready by the end of November 2025.
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'''The journey'''
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I started in computer networking in 1988, contributing to foundational work on protocols, congestion control, and network architecture. Around 2010, I had a realization: the most important problems facing humanity weren't about faster networks—they were about sustainability. Since then, I've worked on reducing carbon footprints in energy generation, transportation, and buildings. For the past five years, my focus has been on using satellite data and machine learning to understand and protect Earth's ecosystems.
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It's been an unusual path, but the thread is consistent: '''using computational thinking to solve problems that matter.'''
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More details on [[Working_on|what I'm currently working on]].
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'''Recent highlights'''
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* '''ACM SIGENERGY Lifetime Achievement Award''' — I'm honored to be the inaugural recipient. [https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/tpf5memzz95qzot2dzsgq/Hints-on-doing-resaearch-keynote.pptx My award talk: "Hints on doing research"]
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* '''Tutorial on self-supervised learning''' at [https://energy.acm.org/conferences/eenergy/2025/tutorial.php ACM eEnergy 2025]. [https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/v9j8u9ckoahjiw4qjhjho/SSL-tutorial-eEnergy-2025.pptx Slides here]
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* '''Public lecture:''' [https://youtu.be/mblvc8txs_0 "Is there hope for the climate?"]
  
Google [https://news.google.com/search?q=professor%20keshav%20Waterloo&hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen News] and [https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=-EMkK7QAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao Scholar profile]
 
 
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'''Contact information'''
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'''Join us'''
  
''Telephone:'' (519) 888 4567 x34456
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'''For students:''' I lead the [https://www.cst.cam.ac.uk/research/eeg Energy and Environment Group] at Cambridge. If you're passionate about using technology to address climate and environmental challenges, explore potential [[MPhil/ACS_projects|Part II/ACS projects]] or get in touch.
  
''Email:'' keshav at uwaterloo dot ca (I do not respond to email on weekends or between 5:00pm and 8:30am).
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'''For collaborators:''' I'm always interested in partnerships with organizations working on environmental monitoring, renewable energy, or climate adaptation—especially those that can help scale TESSERA's impact.
  
''Physical:'' DC 3621 Davis Center, University of Waterloo,
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[http://maps.google.com/?hl=EN&ie=UTF8&t=h&ll=43.472535,-80.541952&spn=0.002787,0.003986&z=18 200 University Ave. West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada]; [https://soleway.ugent.be/routes/1253 Route to my DC office]; If you are driving here, park in the [https://uwaterloo.ca/parking/node/26 M lot]
 
  
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'''Resources'''
  
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[https://tinyurl.com/keshavcalendar My calendar] | [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3AkpcXf_aiYwW2uXZR2pEA YouTube channel] | [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Srinivasan_Keshav Wikipedia] | [https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=-EMkK7QAAAAJ Google Scholar] | [https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6549-0464 ORCID] | [https://www.cst.cam.ac.uk/research/eeg Energy and Environment Group] | [https://www.youtube.com/@cambridgeenergyandenvironm4227/videos EEG YouTube channel]
  
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'''Pronunciation:''' [http://www.pronouncenames.com/pronounce/Srinivasan Srinivasan] [http://www.pronouncenames.com/search?name=keshav Keshav] (Keshav is my given name)
  
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'''Email:''' sk818 at cam dot ac dot uk
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I don't [https://theconversation.com/do-you-answer-emails-outside-work-hours-do-you-send-them-new-research-shows-how-dangerous-this-can-be-160187 respond to email] on weekends or between 5:30pm and 9:00am. During working hours, if your email requires less than 20 minutes of work, expect a rapid response.
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[[Older images]]
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[[Older images|Other portraits]]
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[[Older_news_items|Older news items]]

Latest revision as of 17:47, 13 November 2025

Using computer science to address the climate crisis

In Paradise, by Nicole Keshav, 2025

I'm the Robert Sansom Professor of Computer Science at the Department of Computer Science and Technology, University of Cambridge, and a Professorial Fellow at Fitzwilliam College. I'm also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, ACM, and IEEE.

What I believe

We're in a race against time. Climate change and biodiversity loss threaten civilization, yet we have unprecedented computational and observational capabilities. My work is driven by a simple conviction: computer science can—and must—be a force for planetary good.

I care about building systems that work, training students who will lead the next generation of climate-informed technologists, and creating open resources that democratize access to environmental intelligence.

Right now, I'm most excited about two projects:

TESSERA — A global, open, 10-meter resolution foundation model for Earth observation. We're making planetary-scale environmental monitoring accessible to anyone with a laptop. TESSERA processes satellite imagery to detect deforestation, monitor ecosystems, and track land use changes. It's being used by conservation organizations, researchers, and governments worldwide. Read the paper or listen to this NotebookLM-generated podcast explaining it.

Energy Informatics — I'm writing a free, open-source textbook. I'm using Quarto, VSCode, and modern collaborative tools to make it not just a book, but a living hub for the energy informatics community. I'll be releasing chapters on GitHub as I write them, with the first one ready by the end of November 2025.

The journey

I started in computer networking in 1988, contributing to foundational work on protocols, congestion control, and network architecture. Around 2010, I had a realization: the most important problems facing humanity weren't about faster networks—they were about sustainability. Since then, I've worked on reducing carbon footprints in energy generation, transportation, and buildings. For the past five years, my focus has been on using satellite data and machine learning to understand and protect Earth's ecosystems.

It's been an unusual path, but the thread is consistent: using computational thinking to solve problems that matter.

More details on what I'm currently working on.

Recent highlights


Join us

For students: I lead the Energy and Environment Group at Cambridge. If you're passionate about using technology to address climate and environmental challenges, explore potential Part II/ACS projects or get in touch.

For collaborators: I'm always interested in partnerships with organizations working on environmental monitoring, renewable energy, or climate adaptation—especially those that can help scale TESSERA's impact.


Resources

My calendar | YouTube channel | Wikipedia | Google Scholar | ORCID | Energy and Environment Group | EEG YouTube channel


Pronunciation: Srinivasan Keshav (Keshav is my given name)

Email: sk818 at cam dot ac dot uk

I don't respond to email on weekends or between 5:30pm and 9:00am. During working hours, if your email requires less than 20 minutes of work, expect a rapid response.


Other portraits Older news items