Isabella Gee is originally from Houston, Texas. She has also lived in California, England, and most recently Virginia. As an undergraduate at the University of Virginia, she wrote her thesis on the energy-water nexus by looking at the production of nitrous oxide during algae cultivation and comparing life-cycle assessments of various biofuels. This research experience led her to pursue a graduate degree. Isabella returned to Texas in the fall of 2014 to begin her graduate studies at UT Austin. As a Master’s student, Isabella investigated the interrelationships between aluminum, inorganic contaminants, and natural organic matter during drinking water treatment. Isabella joined the Webber Energy Group in 2016 as a Ph.D. student., where her focus shifted to food.
Isabella’s research focuses on the food-energy nexus, specifically through the lens of e-commerce. As services like meal-kit and grocery delivery change the way food is bought and distributed, they change the way energy is used along the supply chain. Her work builds a flexible, comparative modeling framework that helps gauge which method of food acquisition is most energy efficient under various scenarios given differences in supply chain structure and consumer behavior.
Ph.D., Civil Engineering, UT Austin
M.S., Environmental and Water Resources Engineering, UT Austin
B.S., Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Virginia