Isabel Méndez is a Fulbright–García Robles Visiting Research Scholar and postdoctoral researcher with the California Institute for Energy and Environment (CIEE) at CITRIS and the Banatao Institute at UC Berkeley. She collaborates with Therese Peffer and Alan Meier on human-centered, data-informed tools that help households make comfortable, low-energy choices, starting with friendly guidance for connected thermostats, demand flexibility and occupant-centric comfort across diverse communities.
Her interdisciplinary work bridges building-energy analytics, occupant behavior, human–AI interaction for the built environment, and digital twins for learning and engagement. Méndez earned a Ph.D. in engineering sciences at Tecnológico de Monterrey and has taught and mentored students in performance-based design. Recent recognitions include the Premio Mujer Tec (Environment, 2024) and candidate level at the National Researchers System of Mexico. At CIEE, she’s committed to translating rigorous research into clear, accessible benefits for people at home, pairing careful analysis with practical, welcoming communication so comfort and savings go hand in hand.
Research interests: Thermal comfort, building energy simulation, human–AI interaction for buildings, large language model (LLM) agents, connected thermostats, building-energy analytics, digital twins for buildings