New Undergraduate Program in Energy Engineering
June 2007
With the world’s thirst for energy continuing to grow, there is now an urgent demand for a well trained workforce to develop, process, utilize and manage conventional, unconventional, and renewable energy sources in an environmentally safe and economically feasible way. To meet that need, the department has created a new B.S. program in Energy Engineering to round out its undergraduate curriculum. “Adding the energy engineering program to our curriculum allows us to address the call for the development of alternative sources of energy as well as conventional fossil fuels at the undergraduate level,” said Yaw Yeboah, EME department head. “The new program, together with our legacy programs in Mining and Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering, will put the university another step closer to becoming the premier academic institution in energy education and research.”
The idea for the new program came about in the fall of 2005 and is consistent with the findings in last year’s University Energy Task Force report. Recognizing that the increased demand for energy and a trained energy workforce called for innovative methods to increase enrollment and graduation rates of students in energy-focused disciplines, the report recommended that the University develop an exciting new undergraduate curriculum in energy.
The resulting program incorporates some elements of the old Fuel Science undergraduate program with the addition of courses focused on renewable energy and electrochemical engineering as well as professional electives on business, fi nance, and management. Graduates of the program will be able to understand engineering fundamentals and apply that knowledge to solving problems in the production, processing, storage, distribution, and utilization of energy using multiple techniques such as synthesis, analysis, design, and case studies. Overall, the degree is designed to prepare students to become valuable contributors in addressing society’s energy needs and demands. Its graduates should become successful leaders in advancing the technology and management of energy; innovators and entrepreneurs in the energy sector; and educators, practicing engineers, and national leaders on energy issues.
The flexibility of the curriculum makes it an attractive dual or concurrent major and minor option for students in other energyrelated programs. A testament to this is the fact that several Energy Business and Finance majors have already opted to minor in Energy Engineering when the program becomes active in the fall. The department has also received positive feedback about the program from other Colleges at Penn State as well as private energy companies and national labs that have expressed enthusiasm about the curriculum and the benefi cial impact it will have for their aging workforce.
“This is a new and exciting major and is first of its kind in the country,” says Dr. Sarma Pisupati, the new Undergraduate Program Officer for Energy Engineering. “This is an important field of engineering to be studying in these challenging times when the country and the world are seeking energy security.”
More information about the Energy Engineering program can be found at: http://www.eme.psu.edu/energyeng/index.html