On February 20, 2015, GW’s Environmental and Energy Management Program hosted a day-long series of events sponsored by the Association of Energy Engineers. Over 120 university, government, nonprofit and business leaders, energy and sustainability professionals, and students attended the event.
A highlight of the event was the AAE Women Leadership panel. The panel discussed different ways to think about the green economy, from entry-level, mid-career, and end of career vantage points. Janine Finnell, Clean Energy Ambassador and Founder of Leaders in Energy, moderated the panel. Finnell highlighted useful resources for students looking to size up the green economy and strategize on their careers, such as the Brookings Institution report on “Sizing the Clean Economy,” Dan Smolen’s book “Tailoring the Green Suit – Empowering yourself for an Executive Career in the New Green Economy” and the AEE National Capital Chapter annual Council on Women in Energy and Environmental Leadership (CWEEL) meeting. According to the Brookings Institution, there were 1.7 million green economy jobs in 2010, and the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro area was ranked 4th out of 100 metro areas in the nation.
Mar Kelly, President and Founder of District Sun, indicated that one key to success for women entrepreneurs is to find a niche and identify unmet needs. Kathleen Merrigan, Director of the GW Sustainability program, said a key is to remain flexible and emphasized the importance of social media as a part of the student's toolkit. Kathleen O'Dell, Senior Manager at Deloitte Consulting, spoke about her personal experience with career change in leveraging her international development background and helping developing countries create their own energy policies.
Sunita Satyapal, Director of the Fuel Cell Technologies Office in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy, spoke about the investment that the DOE, global companies, universities, and other countries like Japan are making in the fuel cell space. Buster Barksdale from the Association of Energy Engineers, spoke about upcoming events in the Northeast, including lighting and LEDs.
During the GW Showcase of Energy and Sustainability Educational Programs and Research Programs, attendees dug into the research, institutes, entrepreneurship program, and legal education available at the University.
In the plenary session on Energy and Environmental Management, Sustainability Campus Operations, and Urban Planning, Jonathan Deason, Lead Professor of the Environmental and Energy Management Program, provided an overview of the program, including the substantial research work done by the undergraduate and graduate students.
Topics covered stakeholder decision-making, water management and drinking water enforcement. He highlighted Leaders in Energy member Elvin Yuzugullu’s research on stakeholder decision-making. Joe Cascio, Director of the emerging Environmental and Energy Management Institute, talked about alternative approaches to regulations that need to be explored for the energy industry.
Meghan Chapple, Director for the Office of Sustainability Initiatives, highlighted the collaboration between GWU leadership, professors and students in developing the university’s sustainability program. She discussed how the university is developing best practices in sustainability and renewability through establishing a solar farm and identifying ways to optimize the energy efficiency of its buildings. She emphasized the interconnected and intersectoral nature of sustainability.
Scott Sklar, an Adjunct Professor who also runs The Stella Group, spoke about the failure of people in the energy field / sector to talk to each other, what is known as a “silo” mentality. He reminded students that in Washington, DC, students can attend a hearing, meet with energy experts, and get involved in community projects every day of the year.
During the plenary session on Economics, Law, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, students Connor Roberts, President, and Josie Mascher, Vice President, AEE National Capital Chapter, spoke about the organization's student events. Volker Sorger, Director of the Smart Innovation Labs, discussed his research on electric cars. He talked about why the investment in electric cars will help improve the health of people and the environment as we transition away from fossil fuels.
Jim Chung, founding Executive Director, Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Co-Principal Investigator for the National Science Foundation I-Corps in Washington, DC, spoke about the challenges of operating in a lean start-up environment and discussed how engineering students are becoming entrepreneurs through the I-Corps program. Justin Hyde, co-founder and COO of BitGrid Software Solutions, talked about his experience going through the program and case competitions and the role that played in establishing his company.
Anthony Yezer, Director of the Center for Economic Research, discussed how economics could explain the behavior of city dwellers and whether they used more or less energy based on the size of the homes and transportation. He commented that height limits for buildings has the effect of raising energy use.
Donna Attanasio, Senior Advisor for Energy Law Programs, explained how regulations could be used to incentivize utilities to bring more renewable energy online and make it affordable. Attanasio spoke about the GW program in environmental law, highlighting its role as one of the oldest such programs in the country.
After the showcase, participants were invited to join in a networking reception and peruse information tables from various organizations. Participating organizations gave welcoming remarks including Janine Finnell (Leaders in Energy); Buster Barksdale (President of the Association of Energy Engineers National Capital Chapter); Jonathan Deason, (GW School of Engineering and Applied Science); and Walid Norris (Green Drinks DC).
Amit Ronen, Director of the GW Solar Institute, spoke about his goal to make GWU the #1 university in the country for solar and how George Washington University, American University and the George Washington University Hospital announced a 20-year agreement with Duke Energy Renewables to reduce their carbon footprints by directly tapping solar energy.
Pamela Hess gave a passionate presentation about how her organization brings sustainable food to low-income consumers in Washington, making little-known connections between current food policies and adverse impacts on public health. Janine Finnell closed the event by thanking the attendees for their participation. More information about the event can be seen on the Leaders in Energy website.
