Researchers and official institutional sources relevant to air pollution, public health, water, energy demand, computing efficiency and Virginia regulation.
HOW TO USE THIS PAGE
Start with the question, then the source
Air permits, grid electricity, cooling water, health exposure and computing efficiency are different evidence domains. A strong analysis should not substitute a national energy projection for a facility-level emissions record—or a permit limit for measured operation.
Each entry explains why a source is relevant to the current pilot and links to the researcher’s institution rather than using an unsourced biography. Titles and affiliations were checked July 20, 2026.
01
Air pollution, health and economic effects of energy infrastructure
Michael Cork
Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Biostatistics Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Harvard describes Cork’s work estimating health and economic effects associated with AI data-center power sources, including a Vantage facility in Loudoun County, Virginia.
Causal inference, air pollution and population health
Francesca Dominici
Professor of Biostatistics, Population and Data Science; Director, Harvard Data Science Initiative Harvard University
Dominici’s research provides important methodological context for evaluating population-health claims about air pollution. Harvard identifies her as Cork’s doctoral adviser; that relationship is not presented as an endorsement of this project.
Sustainable computing, electricity systems and local infrastructure effects
Adam Wierman
Carl F Braun Professor of Computing and Mathematical Sciences California Institute of Technology
Caltech describes Wierman’s research with UC Riverside on the public-health costs of data-center-related air pollution and the water demands of hyperscale facilities.
AI environmental footprints, data-center water use and computing systems
Shaolei Ren
Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering University of California, Riverside
Ren’s work examines how computing demand connects to direct and indirect water use. UCR also reports his work on air-pollution and health effects associated with data-center electricity and backup generation.
Data-center energy use, industrial sustainability and evidence-based policy
Eric Masanet
Professor and Mellichamp Chair in Sustainability Science for Emerging Technologies University of California, Santa Barbara / Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Masanet has worked on national data-center energy studies and models. His profile also identifies service in the International Energy Agency, IPCC and U.S. policy processes.
National data-center electricity demand, scenarios and water use
Arman Shehabi
Research scientist and lead author of the 2024 U.S. Data Center Energy Usage Report Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
The 2024 LBNL report supplies the national estimates used in our energy guide and distinguishes measured historical demand from scenario-based projections through 2028.
State air policy, Clean Air Act implementation and environmental governance
Vivian Thomson
Retired Professor; former member and vice chair, Virginia State Air Pollution Control Board University of Virginia
Thomson’s public profile documents experience at EPA and on Virginia’s air-policy board. That background is relevant to how state permit processes translate legal requirements into source-specific conditions.
Energy policy, infrastructure, regulation and data-center development
Fengxiu Zhang
Assistant Professor, Schar School of Policy and Government George Mason University
George Mason identifies data-center development as a specific focus of Zhang’s energy-policy research, including its infrastructural, managerial, regulatory and equity dimensions.
Water systems, infrastructure and the water-energy connection
Landon Marston
Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech’s 2026 discussion with Marston explains both direct cooling demand and the water embedded in electricity supply for data centers, including the relevance to Northern Virginia.
Green computing, server power measurement and data-center efficiency
Kirk Cameron
Professor of Computer Science; IEEE Fellow Virginia Tech
Cameron’s profile documents work on power measurement and management, green computing and contributions to the Energy Star program for servers—technical context for separating computing efficiency from site-level permitting questions.
Inclusion does not mean a researcher agrees with our description, reviewed our dataset or supports a particular data-center policy.
When a person later reviews a specific page or supports the Public Evidence Principles, that role will be displayed separately with explicit scope and date.
Corrections to a title, affiliation, summary or source selection are welcome through the review channel.