Nina Baird
Assistant Teaching Professor, Architecture
Bio
Dr. Nina Baird, PhD, MSPH, is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the School of Architecture and Co-Chair of Carnegie Mellon’s Green Practices Committee. Nina’s courses explore the dynamic interactions between buildings and the environment. She challenges students to think creatively and critically about improving building performance to support environmental and human health. Her courses combine technical understanding and measured performance assessment with an eye towards new technologies and better integrated solutions.
At CMU, with its international student mix, Nina also engages students in consideration of the context of sustainability, based on location-specific factors such as natural resources, population density, climate, culture, and the pace of development. Her applied research includes work in district geothermal systems, wastewater energy recovery, and energy-effective affordable housing.
Nina came to CMU from a prior career as an environmental health consultant to federal agencies in Washington, DC. Throughout her career, she has been involved in community service and encourages students to be active advocates for and contributors to the world they want. Within Pittsburgh, Nina is involved in development of improved community energy infrastructure and provides consulting in high performance affordable housing. Within CMU’s Green Practices Committee, she is currently focusing on wastewater reclamation and reuse, and development of a campus water plan.
Nina holds a BA with honors in English from Amherst College, a Master of Science in Public Health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and both a Master of Science in Sustainable Design and a PhD in Building Performance and Diagnostics from Carnegie Mellon University.
Publications
Understanding Hydrogeology and Its Impact on Large-Scale Geothermal Heat Pump Systems (2015)Professional Affiliations
- ASHRAE
- Society of Building Science Educators
- National Groundwater Association