Since 2022, Edgar has joined the Climate-Energy Lab (led by Ken Caldeira) at the Carnegie Institution for Science on the Stanford University campus. Aside from being a postdoctoral research scientist, Edgar officiates as the deputy group leader.
Edgar’s solid knowledge base arises from his academic formation. At Duke University, he completed a Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences and Policy (’22) with a Certificate in College Teaching and an M.A. in Environment (Energy and Environment) (’18) with a Geospatial Analysis Certificate. At Universidad de los Andes, he obtained an M.Sc. in Environmental Engineering (’10), a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering (’09), and a B.Sc. Environmental Engineering (’09). Complementary, he strengthened his transferable skills by participating in professional certificate programs in Australia, the United States, and Colombia. Acknowledging his academic excellence and research contributions, he has been awarded scholarships and fellowships for more than USD 766,000 from competitive national and international programs sponsored by institutions such as the Sloan Foundation and Procter & Gamble (P&G).
He has participated in eighteen research or consultancy projects with a total budget of USD 2.73 million, working with organizations such as the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank. Edgar has directed life-cycle assessments and cost-benefit analyses of integrating new fuels into energy markets, designed mitigation strategies for local governments, and performed risk assessments of exposure to air pollutants. His research has appeared in top-tier peer-reviewed journals like Energy & Environmental Science, One Earth, Applied Energy, and Energy Conversion and Management. In 2022, his research contributions were recognized with the Energy and Environment Group (EESG) Best Paper Award from the American Association of Geographers and the U.S. Carbon Program Leadership Award from the Carbon Cycle Science Program & North American Carbon Program. In 2023, he was appointed as one of the seven Executive Editorial Board Members of the Environmental Research: Energy journal.
Concurrently with his research interests, he is passionate about improving higher education. During the last decade, he has held several higher education administration positions. He has enhanced the units’ academic, administrative, and financial processes by applying optimization and data analytics methods and defined, planned, and executed strategic global research alliances. Edgar has developed as a next-generation pedagogue, teaching 16 courses, serving more than 560 students, and achieving high ratings from his students. For his contributions and exemplary promise as a leader in the higher education field, he has received several professional honors (total amount of professional awards USD 29,925). In 2020, he was honored as a K. Patricia Cross Future Leader awardee by the Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) identified as a rising star.
At Duke, he had a distinguished tenure, receiving several of the most prestigious awards for graduate students, including the 2021 Graduate School Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching and the 2021 Forever Duke Student Leadership Award. In 2022, he was selected as a board member (Young Trustee) of Duke University’s highest governing body, the Board of Trustees. Edgar was appointed from 2022 to 2025 recognized as an individual of outstanding character, ability, and vision from the current ~10,000 graduate and professional student body and ~8,000 graduate or professional alums of Duke’s Class of 2021 and 2022. His columns describing his advocacy for a renewed educational model have appeared in high-circulation media like Science and Higher Ed Dive.
