The Sustainable Energy Fellowship has announced its 2008 cohort of student Fellows. The students, selected from a highly competitive pool from around the country, will begin the year-long fellowship process at a intensive week-long program to explore the technologies, policies, and economics of sustainable energy.
Researchers from Arizona State University (ASU), Cornell University, Duke University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the University of Michigan designed and direct the Fellowship to be a unique educational and research experience for students to address the global need for the use of energy reduction designs supplemented by renewable energy technologies. During the week-long program, students will be exposed to research and education in energy production, conversion, storage, and sources that are environmentally friendly and renewable such as wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal. Additionally, students will be educated in effective Life Cycle Management Programs
and Innovations that can be used by manufacturers and the service sector.
Leading practitioners from industry, government, and nongovernmental agencies supplement the learning experience by providing divergent points of view and technical expertise. Held on alternating campuses from year to year, this year’s program will run May 24-31, 2008 at Duke University. Expenses for accepted students are being underwritten by Shell and Ford Motor companies.
Jay Golden, director of ASU's National Center of Excellence for SMART Innovations and assistant professor in the new School of Sustainability, states: “This is a great venue to expose some of the nation’s most talented students to sustainability and sustainable engineering research and education programs being undertaken at ASU and we hope to excite them to continue advanced studies with our School of Sustainability. We also have the opportunity to interact and continue to position our Fellows with some of the leading industrialists, politicians, and thought leaders in energy, sustainability, and climate change.”
Golden, who directs the Fellowship, with his colleagues Andy Hoffman from the University of Michigan, Lincoln Pratson of Duke University, Jeff Tester of MIT, and Larry Walker of Cornell, sees an urgent and growing need for this kind of transdisciplinary training: “For the first time in history, the world is predominantly urban and growing more urban every day. This growing population is primarily served by non-renewable energy sources which can have adverse impacts to the environment while also being susceptible to price fluctuations and availability.”
The Fellowship chose 40 students from 20 universities. Among the Universities represented in addition to ASU, Duke, Cornell, MIT and Michigan are: Stanford, University of CaliforniaBerkeley, Penn State, Georgetown, Columbia, Brandeis, Smith College, University of North Carolina, Wisconsin, Vanderbilt, University of Southern California, and Virginia Tech. Students chosen from ASU are: Jessica Katz (Civil & Environmental Engineering), Yeshpal Gupta (Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering), Maura McGarry
(Meteorological & Atmospheric Science), Helme Castro (Material Sciences and Engineering), and Laurence Rosenberg (School of Sustainability).
ASU's School of Sustainability, the first of its kind in the US, offers transdisciplinary degree programs that advance practical solutions to environmental, economic, and social challenges. The School is part of the Global Institute of Sustainability, the hub of ASU’s sustainability initiatives. The Institute
advances research, education, and business practices for an urbanizing world.
http://teachenergy.org (Sustainable Energy Fellowship)
http://www.asusmart.com/ (National Center of Excellence for SMART Innovations)
http://sustainability.asu.edu (Global Institute of Sustainability)
http://schoolofsustainability.asu.edu (School of Sustainability)
Lauren Kuby, Global Institute of
Sustainability, Arizona State University;