Fifteen students, young professionals attend MEW Conference, thanks to scholarship
Thanks to a grant from the Research Triangle Foundation of North Carolina, NCSEA extended 15 scholarships to students and early-career professionals to attend our annual Making Energy Work Conference, held October 23-24.
The recipients represented a broad range of clean energy industries, hailing from towns and cities across North Carolina, including Boone, Wilmington, Elon, Charlotte, and Raleigh. As part of the conference scholarship, they attended workshops and breakout sessions about clean energy topics, listened to relevant keynote speakers and panels, and networked with industry experts, researchers, policymakers, and businesses.
“It was so cool to receive the scholarship, and I felt honored to be invited to the conference,” said Sarah Kenny, an environmental engineering student at NC State University. “My favorite sessions were the plenaries with such amazing and notable speakers.”
Roopa Velraja, an NC State environmental engineering student, said she enjoyed meeting and networking with professionals from different companies and fields within renewable energy.
“I was able to make valuable connections and learn more about what it looks like to work and innovate in this field, and it helped me make important decisions about what kind of work I would like to do in the future,” she said.
“The grant from RTF of NC enabled us to provide students from underrepresented populations in the clean energy sector with the opportunity to network with energy professionals across the state,” said NCSEA Executive Director Matt Abele. “We were thrilled to offer this career-advancing opportunity, which helped reduce barriers and increase opportunities in clean energy for North Carolina students.”
The RTF Foundation of NC places an emphasis on building a more diverse talent pipeline for Research Triangle Park, strengthening the economic security of people across the state, and partnering with our region’s universities and wider education community. NCSEA was one of ten recipients of these grants for 2024-25.
Read more about each MEW scholarship recipient below:
Satyaki Banik
Satyaki Banik is a graduate student in NC State’s Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. He works as a graduate research assistant at the Future Renewable Electric Energy Delivery and Management Systems (FREEDM) Center on microgrid modeling and controls, hardware-in-the-loop validation, and inverter controls.
“My goal is to establish a research career in the power and energy systems diaspora with multidisciplinary collaborations to approach problems related to clean energy and sustainability, focusing on SDGs 7, 11, and 13,” he said.
Jovanny Benitez-Cruz
Benitez-Cruz works at Greenhem Inc. as a junior consultant and drafter.
“We are very eager to learn more about the green building solutions and the different ways to use sustainable energy in the construction of homes,” he said.
Parker Calloway
Calloway is an undergraduate student at NC State dual majoring in environmental science and environmental engineering.
“I am an aspiring researcher with broad research interests, but with a particular interest in geology and biology due to the wide range of applications of these disciples (food production, carbon sequestration, bioenergy, etc.),” he said.
Calloway has participated in research that investigates plant traits that could enhance bioenergy crops’ ability to sequester carbon. He is interested in learning more about the role of algae and cyanobacteria in producing biodiesel and hydrogen.
Olivia Cuccurullo
Cuccurullo is an environmental science student at UNC Wilmington. She has studied in various fields relating to clean energy as well as biodiversity-related studies.
“I believe an opportunity to attend an event such as this would allow me to see what the professional world has to offer,” she said. “As a junior in college, I have been trying to branch out and interact with professionals in the field of study I am interested in: to speak with them, learn their work, and gain connections in the field.”
Tupac Cuji-Crawford
Cuji-Crawford is a junior at Appalachian State University, studying sustainable technology. He is passionate about renewable energy and its role in mitigating climate change.
“Sustainability is my dictum, and I want to become a master in my field,” he said. “I am more than grateful to play a role in the green energy transition by learning from all the resources available and putting that knowledge to work!”
Jackson Hager
Hager is a senior sustainable technology major at Appalachian State and an accelerated master’s student in renewable energy technology. He works as a junior drafter at Renu Energy Solutions.
“In the future, I hope to research and develop renewable energy technologies or become an energy manager,” Jackson said. “Either way, I want to help as many people as I can!”
Max Hird
Hird is a senior at Elon University majoring in environmental studies with a minor in geographic information systems. He is currently conducting a two-year mentored College Fellows research project investigating the equity of walkability in Burlington, NC, with a GIS focus. He also has an internship with GreenGo Energy, performing utility-scale solar site analysis using Transect.
“I have passions in renewable energy, sustainability, and green building,” he said.
Sarah Kenny
Kenny is a junior studying environmental engineering at NC State. She is “interested in making the world more sustainable and learning more about how to make that a possibility.
“I love being in nature and have several hobbies including rock climbing, ping-pong, and writing,” she said.
Elle Lindgren
Lindgren is a third-year student at UNC Wilmington studying environmental science, focusing on conservation and marine biology. She previously worked for the Virginia Department of Energy’s Abandoned Mineral Mine Lands program, identifying sites with potential non-point source water pollution.
“My final project was an analysis of mine sites in coastal Virginia that have the potential for inundation at specific sea level rises using LiDAR through ArcGIS Pro,” she said.
Lindgren currently works at UNC Wilmington’s Shellfish Research Hatchery, helping with scallops, oysters, and clam populations.
Riley Roach
Roach is a student-athlete at Appalachian State, pursuing a degree in sustainable technology and a master’s in appropriate technology. As a member of the Appalachian State Women’s Cross Country and Track Team, she balances athletic commitments with academic goals.
“I am passionate about designing sustainable communities,” she said.
Shawn Rodriguez
With seven years of experience in the design industry, Rodriguez is a dedicated newcomer to green building design, bringing a solid foundation in Building Information Modeling. He recently obtained a LEED Green Associate Certification and is currently working on a LEED Advanced Professional Certification in Building Design + Construction. Eager to dive into green technologies, he is committed to mastering sustainable practices and innovations.
“My passion for creating environmentally friendly solutions drives my pursuit of expertise in this transformative field of green technologies,” he said.
Elliana Marty
Marty is an environmental science student at UNC Wilmington with a concentration in conservation. With strong academics and hands-on experience in watershed maintenance, wildlife monitoring, and environmental data analysis, she has a commitment to advancing sustainability initiatives.
“My different types of expertise in ArcGIS and YSI Water Quality Sampling, combined with my dedication to conservation, makes me a strong candidate for sustainability-focused roles,” she said.
Liliana Teta
Teta is a first-year master's student at NC State’s College of Design, specializing in landscape architecture and environmental planning. With a passion for sustainable energy, green stormwater systems, and biophilic design, she aspires to create outdoor spaces that harmonize with the environment. Before embarking on her master's journey, Teta served as an AmeriCorps member with American Conservation Experience, where she worked alongside the National Parks and National Forests Service throughout the East Coast and assisted FEMA in disaster relief efforts following Hurricane Ida in Florida. She also holds a Permaculture Design Certificate from Oregon State University, underscoring her commitment to environmentally conscious design.
“I believe a well-rounded understanding of interconnected systems is vital for improving the planet's future,” Teta said. “With the support of the MEW scholarship, I was excited to forge meaningful connections and deepen her knowledge to make a lasting impact on the environment.”
Roopa Velraja
Roopa is a third-year environmental engineering student at NC State. She has had internships at Duke Energy and one of its affiliated engineering consulting companies (S&ME Inc.). Her experiences include groundwater management and remediation as a part of the coal power plant decommissioning process.
“My main interest is groundwater impacts caused and quantified by the energy industry,” Velraja said.
Michael Worley
Worley is a senior at Appalachian State, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in sustainable technology. Last summer, he had an electrical engineering research internship with the National Science Foundation, where he researched and published work on how solar inverters affect voltage regulators. He has a background in programming, data logging, and data analysis. His Department of Energy Solar District Cup team won first place in their division, and he served as treasurer of the Appalachian State Solar Energy Society.
“I’m currently working on a community solar project as a field engineer with my university, and I’m interested in working with solar or wind energy over the summer before I spend a year in graduate school pursuing a Master of Science in renewable energy technology,” Worley said.
“My main interest is groundwater impacts caused and quantified by the energy industry,” Velraja said.