Rate My Professor Michael Jack

Professor Michael Jack is a Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Otago, where he directs the Otago Energy Studies Programme and co-directs the Otago Energy Research Centre. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Canterbury and postgraduate studies at the University of Auckland. From 2000 to 2005, he held postdoctoral positions at Hiroshima University, Tokyo Institute of Technology, NTT Basic Research Laboratories in Tokyo, Japan, and Rice University in Houston, USA. Prior to joining Otago, he worked at Scion, New Zealand's Crown Research Institute, until 2014, including as Science Leader of Clean Technologies with a focus on bioenergy and biofuel research. He joined the Department of Physics as a Senior Lecturer and advanced to Professor.

Jack's research applies theoretical physics to sustainable energy, spanning fundamental and applied topics. He investigates smart energy systems for transitioning to distributed, renewable, low-carbon electricity, including matching variable renewables like solar PV to demand via electric vehicles, energy storage, ICT, and business models. His work also covers nanoscale energy conversion, developing theories of molecular motors under thermal fluctuations for biological processes and new technologies. Key publications include Liu, M., Purdie, J., & Jack, M. W. (2026). The evolving structure of emissions in the transition to renewable electricity systems. Journal of Cleaner Production; Jack, M. W., Paulsen, P., Xiao, X., Parker, R., & Myall, D. (2025). Estimating the seasonal variation in electricity demand of future electric vehicle fleets. Energy; Jack, M. W., Konings, H. B., & Gretton, G. I. (2025). Regional breakdown of New Zealand’s residential heat demand and associated emissions. Energy & Buildings; and Jack, M. W., & Bandi, M. M. (2025). Extreme value statistics of peak residential electricity demand: Effect of aggregation and moving-average smoothing. Sustainable Energy, Grids & Networks. In 2026, he presented his Inaugural Professorial Lecture, A random walk through energy landscapes.