Conrad, Associate Professor of Systems Engineering, specializes in environmental and water resource management, systems engineering and sustainable design, renewable energy and energy efficiency, climate change adaptation and resilience, and stakeholder engagement and policy development. His research focuses on decision-making processes and behaviors in urban systems.

Recent work includes a study on attitudes toward energy efficiency in housing markets, revealing a disparity between buyers’ willingness to pay for energy-efficient homes and property owners’ reluctance to retrofit existing homes. Despite growing interest in sustainability, homeowners hesitate due to cost barriers. This research sheds light on challenges and opportunities in achieving sustainable and affordable housing.

Conrad holds two B.S. degrees from the University of Arizona, an M.S. in Environmental Technology Management from Arizona State University and a Ph.D. in Environmental Resource Management from Simon Fraser University, Canada.