Jesse Kaczmarski brings his passion for energy economy and love of Alaska to ACEP
Jesse Kaczmarski is a postdoctoral fellow at ACEP.
August 15, 2023
By Yuri Bult-Ito
Jesse Kaczmarski joined ACEP in June as a postdoctoral fellow, specializing in energy economics and policy.
Kaczmarski works primarily with ACEP’s Dominique Pride in conducting energy economics research on residential energy consumption and efficiency specific to Alaska. Kaczmarski and team will try to find novel solutions to energy problems to improve the wellbeing of Alaskans. Throughout his tenure, he will be conducting research on cold climate housing, heating and cooling solutions, and other aspects of the power delivery chain that directly impact stakeholders.
Kaczmarski holds a B.A. in economics and an M.S. in resource and applied economics, both from UAF. His master’s work focused on homeowner responses to invasive aquatic species in the Chena River. He earned his Ph.D. in economics from the University of New Mexico, with his dissertation focusing on the economic dimensions of grid modernization in the United States. During his Ph.D. studies, Kaczmarski also worked for the New Mexico EPSCoR SMART Grid Center. The center is a multi-university consortium that pursues next-generation electric power production and delivery through creation of a sustainable, modular, adaptive, resilient and transactive (SMART) electric grid. Working collaboratively with economists, engineers, and computer scientists, Kaczmarski studied microgrid feasibility in the American Southwest.
His enthusiasm for working with Alaskans began to blossom when Kaczmarski was pursuing his master’s degree. During that time, he taught an intensive six-week introduction-to-business course for the Rural Alaskan Honors Institute. The institute has been held each summer since 1983 on the UAF Troth Yeddha’ campus for selected rural and Alaska Native high school seniors. Participants are immersed in academic courses and activities and learn how to thrive academically in a university setting and gain enhanced self-confidence and discipline.
When he realized that his Ph.D. experience was a perfect fit for ACEP’s work, Kaczmarski seized this postdoctoral fellow opportunity in Fairbanks, where he and his partner dreamed of returning after their studies. He is excited to work with ACEP and looks forward to working with Alaskans again.
Outside of work, Kaczmarski enjoys photography, outdoors activities such as fishing and hiking, and playing with his cat. He plans to learn to cross-country ski this winter.