Hung Vo

Hung works at the intersection of energy infrastructure, governance, and technology, focusing on how the digital economy effects political decisions, energy transitions, and global resource competition. He is an MIT Presidential Fellow.

Previously, Hung served as a U.S. diplomat with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in Indonesia and Mexico, with additional assignments in Ethiopia, Nepal, and Albania. At USAID, he managed multimillion-dollar budgets for energy and infrastructure programs and led teams that mobilized over $1 billion in financing. He worked with senior government officials and private sector partners to advance sustainable power and development, receiving Superior and Meritorious Honor Awards for his leadership.

Hung holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in urban planning from Cornell University and Harvard University (supported by the Donald M. Payne Fellowship). He was a Teaching Fellow at Harvard and a Research Fellow at the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative. His prior research was funded by the Harvard Asia Center, the Ash Center for Democracy and Governance, and the Graduate School of Design.

He served on the national selection committees for the Hubert H. Humphrey and Fulbright fellowships, refereed for Urban Studies, and interviewed undergraduate applicants as a Cornell alumni volunteer. His research has appeared in Natural Hazards and Urban Studies, and he has contributed a book chapter on Asian cities published by Routledge. In addition, his case studies have been published by Harvard University.