Dr. Angel Hsu

Dr. Angel Hsu

Principal Investigator
PhD, Environmental Policy

Principal Investigator
PhD, Environmental Policy

Dr. Angel Hsu is an Associate Professor of Public Policy and the Environment at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she also leads the Data-Driven EnviroLab (DDL), an interdisciplinary research lab pioneering the use of data to solve urgent environmental challenges. Her work sits at the intersection of science and policy, with a focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI), urbanization, air quality, and equity. Through DDL, she transforms complex, large-scale datasets into actionable insights that shape policy, drive accountability, and empower underrepresented communities, particularly in data-scarce regions of the Global South. A recognized thought leader in data-driven climate policy, Dr. Hsu has contributed to major scientific assessments, including as a lead author for the IPCC’s Special Report on Cities and Climate, contributing author to IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, and lead author of the 2018 UNEP Emissions Gap Report chapter on non-state and subnational actors. She is a committed public speaker, with talks at TED2018: Age of Amazement and the inaugural TED Climate Countdown. Dr. Hsu was appointed in 2025 by North Carolina Governor Joshua Stein to serve on the North Carolina AI Leadership Council. Her work has been funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, NASA, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, among others.

Dr. Hsu holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Policy from Yale University, a MPhil in Environmental Policy from the University of Cambridge, and a BS in Biology and BA in Political Science from Wake Forest University.

Dr. Angel Hsu is an Associate Professor of Public Policy and the Environment at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she also leads the Data-Driven EnviroLab (DDL), an interdisciplinary research lab pioneering the use of data to solve urgent environmental challenges. Her work sits at the intersection of science and policy, with a focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI), urbanization, air quality, and equity. Through DDL, she transforms complex, large-scale datasets into actionable insights that shape policy, drive accountability, and empower underrepresented communities, particularly in data-scarce regions of the Global South. A recognized thought leader in data-driven climate policy, Dr. Hsu has contributed to major scientific assessments, including as a lead author for the IPCC’s Special Report on Cities and Climate, contributing author to IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, and lead author of the 2018 UNEP Emissions Gap Report chapter on non-state and subnational actors. She is a committed public speaker, with talks at TED2018: Age of Amazement and the inaugural TED Climate Countdown. Dr. Hsu was appointed in 2025 by North Carolina Governor Joshua Stein to serve on the North Carolina AI Leadership Council. Her work has been funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, NASA, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, among others.

Dr. Hsu holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Policy from Yale University, a MPhil in Environmental Policy from the University of Cambridge, and a BS in Biology and BA in Political Science from Wake Forest University.