Faculty and Staff Support
Academic Projects
To prepare students for climate solution leadership and careers, Energize Colleges develops custom and off-the-shelf versions of university-level curriculum in climate, sustainability, and energy topics. Our team aims to bring quality and accessible education to post-secondary students across the country.
Recent Academic Project: Bakersfield College
With support from Forefront Power, the Energize Colleges team collaborated with Bakersfield Engineering Professor, Travis Steele, to enhance the curriculum of his course, "Introduction to Engineering and Design." The revision integrates photovoltaic technology and renewable energy concepts into Steele's existing curriculum.
Additionally, Steele is crafting a new curriculum which includes a series of hands-on lab activities which explore renewable energy by building and coding a 2-axis solar tracker and comparing the power differences between fixed panel arrays and tracking panel arrays. |
I had been wanting to update our Intro to Engineering courses to include renewable energy topics and labs for several semesters. Working with SEI let me do this and so much more. Students are getting to learn about careers in the solar industry and getting to build an Arduino-based solar tracking robot. They love the project!" |
Recent Academic Project: Riverside Community College District
With support from Southern California Edison, the Energize Colleges team worked with the District's Air Conditioning Professors, Kfir Mendelovitz and Pierre Ortanez, to revolutionize heat pump education. Collectively, they enhanced lab exercises to optimize performance and efficiency. The professors' comprehensive learning approach covered all aspects of heat pump functionality and maintenance, empowering students through hands-on opportunities.
Mendelovitz and Ortanez’s aim to empower students to fine-tune heat pump operations and maximize efficiency in real-world applications. Through their commitment to improving these lab exercises, they aspire to educate a new wave of skilled professionals with the capability to revolutionize the field of heat pump technology. |
Recent Academic Project: Allan Hancock College
With support from Forefront Power, the Energize Colleges team collaborated with Allan Hancock's Architecture Professor, Saad Sadig, to enhance the curriculum of his course, "Sustainable Design Methods and Technology." The revision integrates comprehensive concepts of Solar Photovoltaic Basics, Technology, and Applications, enriching the learning experience and promoting a deeper understanding of sustainable design principles.
This enriched curriculum, launched during the 2024 Spring Semester, incorporates various aspects, including types of PV systems, solar module configurations (arrays), solar storage devices, site-integrated PVs, and design guidelines. |
Photovoltaic (PV)-generated electricity is an almost ideal energy source. PV, which converts light into electricity, is sustainable, nonpolluting, safe, silent, and available at peak demand time, which is a hot summer day. The module: Photovoltaics Basics, Technology, and Applications introduces students to this ideal energy source. The module also introduces students to innovative PV integration strategies."
– Saad Sadig, Architecture Instructor, Allan Hancock College
Communities of Practice
Energize Colleges facilitates Communities of Practice to empower interdisciplinary faculty and staff members to integrate sustainability into their curriculum and institutionalize sustainability education across campus.
Communities of practice are groups of faculty and/or staff members who engage in the following:
Communities of practice are groups of faculty and/or staff members who engage in the following:
Recent Presentations
Energize Colleges has been delighted to host a number of expert presenters in our Communities of Practice.
Our presenters represent organizations such as Project Drawdown, the Environmental and Natural Resource Technology Center (EARTh Center), the Center for Renewable Energy Advanced Technological Education (CREATE), as well as a number of higher education institutions across the nation. |
"Higher Education's Role in Creating a Green Workforce"
by Elizabeth Bagley, Ph.D. |
"Decarbonization" by Amanda D. Smith, Ph.D.
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To learn about current faculty and staff opportunities please contact us.
Curriculum Development
To prepare students for climate solution leadership and careers, Energize Colleges develops custom and off-the-shelf versions of university-level curriculum in climate, sustainability, and energy topics. Our team aims to bring quality and accessible education to post-secondary students across the country.
Recent Curriculum Project: E4 Carolinas HBCU Energy Leadership Pathway
SEI developed the curriculum for E4 Carolinas' innovative Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Energy Leadership Pathway. E4 Carolinas is a leading trade association for energy companies and organizations in the Carolinas.
The Pathway is designed as a transformative means to promote racial equity, diversity, and inclusion in the United States energy industry, beginning with four universities in North and South Carolina and eventually expanding to include an additional 14 HBCUs. Through coursework, connections to industry mentors, and internships, students develop skills preparing them for the energy industry and community leadership, where real institutional change takes place. |
The curriculum modules gave me valuable insight about sustainable career paths and empowered me to pursue a career in the energy industry. I learned to create and innovate, which are skills needed as we transition to clean energy." |
To learn about current curriculum opportunities please contact us.
Climate Career Pathways
Student Internships
Energize Colleges creates student internship positions in collaboration with participating campuses. These paid internships provide students with valuable work experience, deepened knowledge of sustainability topics and issues, and the opportunity to apply their understanding in the real world.
As an internship, [Energize Colleges] was probably the best one I could have had. It's a wonderful way to introduce you to working ... with education behind it. Energy conservation was top of mind before, but the resources in CANVAS stressed to me the importance of implementing [energy conservation] in every project. Any college students who are looking to get into internships and research, this opportunity would be the best way to do it." Pictured from left: Hovannes Kulhandijan (Energize Colleges supervisor and Associate Professor, CSU Fresno); Nicholas Amely; Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval (President, CSU Fresno); and Ram Nunna (Dean, Lyles College of Engineering).
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Fellowships
Energize Colleges offers tailored support to campus sustainability, faculty, and facilities teams through the placement of a talented early career professional in conjunction with our sister program Climate Corps.
As recent graduates looking to transition into employment in the sustainability sector, Fellows will:
As recent graduates looking to transition into employment in the sustainability sector, Fellows will:
My role as a Higher Education Fellow provided me with invaluable insights into the significance of sustainability efforts in a college setting. This experience not only honed my problem-solving and attention-to-detail skills, but also empowered me to make meaningful contributions to sustainability initiatives. Through my work, I have enhanced my data analysis, communication, and teamwork skills, which have been instrumental in driving positive change at my community college district." |
Fellowship Spotlight
Climate Corps is employing the most Fellows in its history who are all driving forward climate solutions and poised to enter the climate workforce as the next generation of climate leaders.
One such leader is Rachel Pennington, who gained valuable experience supporting environmental initiatives during her 2018-2019 fellowship year at University of California, Irvine. Rachel was hired at UC Irvine as a program coordinator after her fellowship, where she designed and implemented programming related to renewable energy, zero waste, environmental justice, and local environmental issues. Rachel is now the acting assistant director of energy services at The Energy Coalition. |
Rachel Pennington,
2018-19 Energize Colleges Fellow |
To learn more about current internships and fellowship opportunities, please contact us.
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