Evaluation Committee 2025-2026

Prof. Abdelaziz is an Associate Professor of thermofluids with more than 20 years of experience in research, development, and project management, specialising in energy-efficient building technologies, sustainable energy production, and alternative heating and cooling systems, including low-global-warming-potential refrigerants. He began his career at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in 2009 after earning a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park, and later served as a Senior Fellow at the US Department of Energy’s Building Technologies Office from 2012 to 2014. Returning to ORNL in 2014, he led the building equipment research group, managing a multidisciplinary research portfolio with an annual budget of USD 18 million. He is an active member of professional organisations including ASHRAE and serves as co-chair of the Refrigeration, Air Conditioning, and Heat Pump Technical Options Committee of the United Nations Ozone Secretariat’s Techno-economic Assessment Panel. An internationally recognised expert, he has published more than 100 peer-reviewed papers and holds several patents.

Stela Drucioc has extensive experience in environmental and climate policy development, legal frameworks, and project implementation. She served as the main counterpart to the World Bank on Clean Development Mechanism projects in Moldova’s energy sector from 2005 to 2017, including results-based financing initiatives that received the Social Inclusion and Green Award at the 2016 GPOBA Inn-OBA-tions Awards. She has worked on biodiversity protection as a member of the Standing Committee of the Bern Convention, contributing to amendments on native species for biological pest control. As Head of the Directorate of Air and Climate Policy Development at the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Moldova from 2022 to 2023, she led the development and government approval process of the National Adaptation Programme and the Low Emissions Development Programme and their action plans to 2030, and strengthened the legal framework for air and ozone protection. She is responsible for national air pollutant inventories and reporting under the LRTAP Convention, including the preparation of NFR and IIR reports for 2016–2025, and coordinates international cooperation with partners such as the Stockholm Environment Institute, the Japan Weather Association, and the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, serving on the Joint Committee of the Joint Crediting Mechanism under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement. She holds degrees in Biology and Chemistry and has completed specialised training in international cooperation and environmental protection in Japan and Romania.

Stephanie Egger Haysmith joined the Montreal Protocol Ozone Secretariat in June 2019 as Communications and Information Officer, following earlier roles with various diplomatic missions, including the Embassy of Switzerland, and with UNICEF Somalia and UNICEF’s Eastern and Southern Regional Office. In her current role, she leads the Secretariat’s communications and public information work, promotes the implementation of the ozone treaties, and serves as focal point for sustainability management, Multilateral Environmental Agreements, youth engagement, and the Cooling Cluster. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Politics and a Master’s degree in Global Diplomacy from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.

Ankit Kalanki is a Principal at RMI, where he leads the Global Cooling Initiative, focusing on scaling next-generation super-efficient air conditioning solutions and advancing lifecycle refrigerant management. He plays a key role in the Global Cooling Efficiency Accelerator, helping shape industry and policy efforts to ensure future air conditioners are designed for real-world performance, thereby, improving outcomes for people, power grids, and the climate. Leveraging a robust engineering background and expertise in energy efficiency, he led an extensive operations and maintenance team focused on energy management and environmental sustainability at Nestle’s industrial campus in India. His diverse background spans corporate energy management consulting, as well as research and due diligence at Third Derivative, where he has supported early-stage cooling innovators in raising funds and advancing their commercialization journeys. He also led technical operations for the internationally recognized Global Cooling Prize. A recognized voice in the HVAC industry, Ankit was named to ACHR News’ “Top 40 Under 40” in 2024 for his continued contributions to advancing efficient, performance-driven, and affordable cooling technologies. He holds degrees from Carnegie Mellon University, USA, and IIT Roorkee, India.

Dr Radhika Khosla is an Associate Professor at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, University of Oxford, Research Director at the Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development, and Programme Leader in Zero Carbon Energy Use at Oxford’s ZERO Institute. An urban climatologist by training, her interdisciplinary research sits at the intersection of science and policy, focusing on extreme heat and the rapidly growing global demand for cooling, particularly in the context of urbanisation in the Global South. She is Principal Investigator of the Oxford Martin School’s programme on the Future of Cooling, lead author of UNEP’s Global Cooling Watch Reports (2023 and 2025), and served as Special Scientific Advisor to the UK Parliament’s Environmental Audit Committee during its 2023–24 inquiry on heat resilience and sustainable cooling. She is Editor-in-Chief of Environmental Research Letters and has contributed to major international assessments including UNEP’s Emissions Gap Report and the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report. Her work has been widely recognised, cited in over 2,500 international media articles and broadcasts, and she is a Fellow of the Energy Institute, serving on multiple advisory boards, with a PhD from the University of Chicago and undergraduate and master’s degrees in Physics from the University of Oxford.

Dr Eleni Myrivili is the Global Chief Heat Officer for UNEP, UN-Habitat, and the Atlantic Council’s Climate Resilience Center, and serves as Senior Adaptation and Resilience Advisor to the Global Covenant of Mayors. She sits on the boards of the EU Mission on Adaptation and the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report, and previously served as Athens’ elected Deputy Mayor for Urban Nature, Urban Resilience, and Climate Adaptation. A former university professor, Dr Myrivili is a globally recognised leader on heat resilience and climate adaptation, named among Nature’s 10 people who helped shape science in 2023, Earth.Org’s 10 women leading the fight against climate change, and PlanetMark’s 10 inspirational female voices for 2024. Her work has been featured in major international media including CNN, Al Jazeera, NHK World, and the New York Times, and she delivered a TED Talk on extreme heat and resilience. She holds a PhD in Anthropology from Columbia University.