Fellowships for Students Pursuing Interdisciplinary MS with a Focus on Wind Energy

The production of electricity from wind has grown rapidly in the U.S. and abroad. A problem generated by this rapid growth is the need for a highly trained workforce as has been discussed openly in recent workshops and in discussions with wind energy manufacturers and developers. In addition, the 20% by 2030 report lists workforce development as among the critical needs if the initiative is to succeed. This report also identified that, for this initiative to succeed, many of the wind energy related technologies needed to advance. As a result, a critical component of the workforce development is the highly trained personnel that can contribute to this technology advancement. The objective of this effort was to attract several highly qualified candidates to pursue a wind-energy focused interdisciplinary degree at the Masters Degree level. Since it was desired to produce these candidates as quickly as possible, fellowships were to be provided to the best candidates so that they could complete their degree quickly and transition to the workforce in the minimum time possible. In the course of advertising for these high quality candidates, it was hoped that other students would also be made aware of the educational and research opportunities offeredmore » by the Wind Energy Research Center (WERC). To ensure a wind energy focus for the students, a curriculum focused on wind was encouraged, but the curriculum was sufficiently flexible to allow the students to tailor the experience to meet their interests. Options for the students included internships or a thesis in addition to coursework only programs. The results of this effort are considered to be an overall success. Six students started the program and all have either completed or are in the last stages of completing the program. Individuals with a broad range of backgrounds started the program demonstrating that students from many areas can successfully complete such a program. On average, the students took longer than the expected three semesters and summer to complete the program, but this was largely due to the choices they made in their degree programs. All of the students completing their degree have either moved on to employment, graduate school, or are finishing up their degrees and actively looking for their next position. The outcomes of this program can thus serve to guide institutions looking to develop a similar program« less