Systems Engineer
Systems Engineer

Biography

Kieren McCord joined Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in 2022. She is a research scientist with the Building Systems group, where she conducts building life cycle assessment and modeling. She also studies the interaction of energy-efficient technologies with indoor environmental quality and corresponding effects on occupants. 

Prior to coming to PNNL, she taught construction technologies at Arizona State University and worked on research exploring virtual and augmented reality for construction training.

Research Interest

  • Life cycle analysis
  • Acoustics
  • Sustainability
  • Indoor environmental quality
  • Virtual reality
  • Human health
  • Environmental product declarations
  • Sustainability workflows

Education

  • PhD in construction management, Arizona State University
  • MS in architectural engineering, University of Nebraska at Lincoln
  • BM in music, minors in physics and math, Brigham Young University

Affiliations and Professional Service

  • Member, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), 2022–current
  • Member, Student Council Member and Chair (2017–2021), Acoustical Society of America (ASA) 2016–current 
  • Member, American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers, 2024–current 

Awards and Recognitions

  • Dean’s Dissertation Award, Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, Arizona State University, 2021
  • Del E. Webb Foundation Fellowship, Arizona State University, 2021
  • Fulton Schools Graduate Fellowship, Arizona State University, 2021
  • Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Past Presidents Scholarship, Arizona State University, 2019
  • The Leo and Gabriella Beranek Scholarship, Acoustical Society of America, 2018
  • Milton Mohr Graduate Fellowship, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2018
  • Office of Research and Creative Activities (ORCA) Grant Recipient, Brigham Young University, 2016

Publications

McCord, K. H., Dillon, H. E., Gunderson, P., Carlson, S., Phillips, A. R., Griechen, D., & Antonopoulos, C. A. (2024). Strategies for connecting whole-building LCA to the low-carbon design process. Environmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability4(1), 015002.

Antonopoulos, C. A., Fuentes, T. L., McCord, K. H., Rackley, A. L., & Biswas, S. (2024). Regional assessment of household energy decision-making and technology adoption in the United States. Energy Policy185, 113940.

Biswas, S., Fuentes, T. L., McCord, K. H., Rackley, A. L., & Antonopoulos, C. A. (2024). Decisions and decision-makers: Mapping the sociotechnical cognition behind home energy upgrades in the United States. Energy Research & Social Science109, 103411.

McCord, K. H., Ayer, S. K., Gheisari, M., Turkan, Y., Mutis, I., Katz, G., & Fruchter, R. (2024). Computing in AEC Education: Hindsight, Insight, and Foresight. Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering38(3), 04024009.

McCord K.H., C.E. Metzger, F.D. Brown, J. Liu, J. Winkler, and P. Im. (2024). "Understanding the DOE Heat Pump Partnership." ASHRAE Journal.