Dr. Michael Curtis is an educator, international development executive, and global energy policy leader with nearly five decades of experience designing and leading large-scale programs in energy security, clean energy transitions, climate policy, and sustainable development. His career spans senior leadership positions in academia, the U.S. Government, international development, and engineering consulting, with extensive experience across the United States, Eastern Europe, Central and South Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Dr. Curtis currently serves as Senior Advisor to the President at Soka University of America. He is also a Senior Research Fellow at the Soka Institute for Global Solutions, and an Adjunct Instructor in Environmental Studies. Previously, he served as an Adjunct Professor at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government.
During more than two decades with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Dr. Curtis led major international initiatives that advanced energy security, accelerated clean energy transitions, and expanded access to affordable electricity. He directed USAID’s $400 million Energy Security Program in Moldova, strengthening the country’s energy independence through integration with the European power grid and expanding renewable energy development. In Central Asia, led efforts to advance electricity market reforms, attract private investment in renewable energy, establish regional power markets, and support the $1.2 billion Central Asia–South Asia Electricity Transmission Project (CASA-1000). Earlier, he directed USAID’s $180 million annual Energy Program in Pakistan, promoting power sector reforms, increasing electricity generation, and expanding private-sector investment in clean energy.
At USAID headquarters, Dr. Curtis served as Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator in the Bureau for Africa, where he worked closely with the White House National Security Council to help shape the U.S. Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa and contributed to the development of President Obama’s Power Africa initiative. He also served as USAID’s Research and Development Coordinator, strengthening the Agency’s innovation and research portfolio. At the U.S. Department of Energy, Dr. Curtis served as Director of the Technology Analysis Office and led national policy initiatives to accelerate the commercialization of clean energy technologies and strengthen partnerships between the National Laboratories and the private sector. He began his professional career as an environmental engineer, directing environmental restoration and pollution prevention programs.
Dr. Curtis holds a Ph.D. in Public Policy from George Mason University and M.S. and B.S. degrees in Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. His teaching, research, and public service focus on energy policy, sustainable development, and preparing future leaders to address the global challenges of the twenty-first century.
