Dr. David Jhirad is the Vice President for Science and Research at World Resources Institute. He oversees and takes a lead role in the planning, quality control, and evaluation of WRI's research work. He mentors research staff, manages effective peer review processes, and oversees mechanisms for project and program evaluation.

Dr. Jhirad has authored or co-authored more than 80 publications on energy, climate and development issues. His recent publications include An Energy Policy for the 21st Century, U.S. Energy Policy: Accomplishments and Challenges, Energy and Environmental Policy of Australia, and Energy and Environmental Policy of Japan.

Dr. Jhirad is an Adjunct Professor of Science, Technology, and International Affairs at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, where he teaches courses on energy, security, and world affairs. He has held senior positions within the U.S. government, including as deputy assistant secretary of energy for international energy policy, trade, and investment, and as senior energy advisor to the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Dr. Jhirad is a member of the Cosmos Club of Washington, DC, and is on the Board of the Humane Society of the United States. For five years, he served as vice-chairman of the governing board of the International Energy Agency in Paris and as the lead U.S. representative to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Energy Working Group.

Dr. David Jhirad was a senior scientist at Brookhaven National Laboratory and a director of the Union of Concerned Scientists. He has taught at Boston University and the University of Massachusetts. Dr. Jhirad grew up in India, received a bachelors and masters in physics from Cambridge University, and a doctorate in applied physics from Harvard University, where he won the Bowdoin Prize for excellence in research.