Sustainability Researcher, Educator, Author
I study the environmental impacts of new products and technology. Our research group identifies potential tradeoffs and unintended consequences, trying to find better solutions for the future. In addition to my scholarly work, I am committed to improving environmental decision-making and science communication.
New book: The Truth About Going Green
Coming April 2027 from University of California Press.
Analysis and insights for sustainability
My research team focuses on two major questions:
- How do different design choices and user behaviors affect the environmental impacts of products?
- How can we design products better for the environment?
We use life cycle assessment (LCA) and other systems analysis tools to model the environmental impact of a wide variety of products, from harvesting or extracting raw materials, through manufacturing, use, and disposal.
Bio
Shelie Miller is the Jonathan W. Bulkley Collegiate Professor in Sustainable Systems at the School for Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan, with a courtesy appointment in Civil and Environmental Engineering. She co-directs the Center for Sustainable Systems, a leader systems analysis research.
Dr. Miller has a PhD in Civil and Materials Engineering from University of Illinois at Chicago. She also has an ME in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Clarkson University, and a BS in Chemistry from Denison University.
The Obama White House awarded Miller a Presidential Early Career Award in Science and Engineering (PECASE). She served as a Jefferson Science Fellow focusing on science policy issues at USAID through the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Numerous media outlets feature her research and commentary, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, CNN, TIME, the BBC, Forbes, Consumer Reports, and The Guardian.
When not talking sustainability, she enjoys hiking with her pup, creating wonky pottery, and striving to produce a bakery-quality baguette.