EEM Newsletter Spring / Summer 2020
EEMI Board Member Elected to the National Academy of Engineering
Dr. Lilia Abron, a long-time member of the Board of Advisors of the SEAS Environmental and Energy Management Institute, was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering on October 4, 2020. Election to the NAE is among the highest professional honors that can be bestowed on engineers. According to the press release announcing Dr. Abron's election, “Academy membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to "engineering research, practice, or education, including, where appropriate, significant contributions to the engineering literature."
News of EEM Students, Faculty and Alumni
Dr. Gurkan Kumbaroglu, a Fulbright Fellow conducting research on climate change impacts on the electricity generating sector with the Environmental and Energy Management Institute, participated in a forum on the energy situation with former Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz on March 4, 2020. The event, held at the Resources for the Future building in Washington, D.C., attracted an impressive array of energy experts across the full spectrum of important energy topics.
EEM Student’s Environmental Startup Wins Major Awards
The startup company Envirobe, created by EMSE student Manyung Emma Hon (who graduated in May 2020), has won a string of impressive awards for its promise of having a substantial positive impact on the world’s environment. Envirobe which won several awards last year in the New Venture Competition, including the top prize in the competition’s tech track, also participated in GW’s NSF-funded I-Corps program and the GW Summer Startup Accelerator Program, currently is a semi-finalist in the New York University $300K Entrepreneur Challenge, and has been invited to participate in the Rice Business Plan Competition.
Prof. Dayo Shittu Leads Community Solar Project Workshop
On February 7, 2020, Professor Ekundayo Shittu led a day-long workshop coordinated by the GW Schools of Engineering and Applied Science and Law. The event, entitled “Examining Community Solar Programs to Understand the Role of Policies on Accessibility and Investment Workshop “was funded by the Sloan Foundation’s Division of Energy and Environment.
EEMI Professors Conduct Seminar on the Impact of COVID-19 on Energy Economics and Sustainability
Dr. Edward Saltzberg, EEMI’s Director of Professional Education, and Dr. Gürkan Kumbaroğlu, a Fulbright Visiting Professor with the EEMI, led an online seminar on the topic of “Impact of COVID-19 on Energy Economics and Sustainability” on April 22, 2020. The event, sponsored by the International Association for Energy Economics, began with an overview of the energy industry in the U.S., explaining how the industry is impacted currently by the COVID-19 crisis. The recent drop in electricity demand and the shift in demand patterns as a result of behavioral changes that developed during the COVID-19 crisis was discussed with implied challenges and opportunities.
GW Installs New Rooftop Solar Panels on the Foggy Bottom Campus
In May 2020, GW completed installation of new solar photovoltaic panels on five Foggy Bottom campus buildings. The solar panels were installed on the rooftops of Funger and Duques Halls, the Charles E. Smith Center, Monroe Hall and Hall of Government, Lisner Auditorium and the Media and Public Affairs Building. Neighborhood Solar Equity, an organization focused on renewable energy and community development, developed the project. New Columbia Solar, in conjunction with the D.C. Department of Energy and Environment, financed the project.
GW Establishes High-Level Sustainability Task Force
In February 2020, the GW Board of Trustees established a high-level Task Force on Environmental, Social, and Governance responsibilities. This action was in response to on-going discussions among many members of the University community, including students, faculty and other stakeholders.
EEMI Faculty and Students Celebrate at the 2020 Engineers’ Ball
On February 23, 20202, a number of Environmental and Energy management Institute faculty and students celebrated that academic year’s achievements at the 2020 SEAS Engineer’s Ball. Held at the world famous Washington Mayflower Hotel, the event attracted several hundred students, faculty and guests from across the School of Engineering and Applied Science.
Newsletter Editor: Seth Barna
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