Summer in the City: Next Generation Power Engineers Revolutionizing the Grid
For the fourth summer, 35 graduate and undergraduate engineering students from FEEDER’s consortium of 12 universities experienced first-hand how power engineering goes from classroom to real-world. This year’s summer workshop was the largest since the program began in 2014. FEEDER stands for Foundations for Engineering Education for Distributed Energy Resources.
“Continuing this unique tradition, our FEEDER summer program provides unique instructional, laboratory and industrial experiences for our students,” said Dr. Zhihua Qu, University of Central Florida SAIC endowed professor and chair, and FEEDER team lead.
The five-day intensive, hosted by the University of Pittsburgh’s Swanson School of Engineering, was a combination of in-situ and hands-on interactions. “Three day-long visits to utility and industry companies like Duquesne Light, Mitsubishi Electric, Eaton Power Systems Experience Center and the university’s Electric Power Technology Lab enabled our students to learn directly from practicing engineers about real-world problems and solutions,” said Qu.
The tours provided students with a unique behind-the-scenes experience, providing the opportunity for interactive learning. “Students were exposed to elements from academic scholarship, academic research and the power industry,” said Dr. Bob Kerestes, assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh’s Swanson School of Engineering. “I was so impressed with the level of engagement and enthusiasm that I saw from all of the students. I learned so very much from all of them.”
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