Enhanced Workforce Development via the 2017 FEEDER Student Summer Program
- Conference
- Location
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Salt Lake City, Utah
- Publication Date
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June 23, 2018
- Start Date
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June 23, 2018
- End Date
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July 27, 2018
- Conference Session
- Tagged Division
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Energy Conversion and Conservation
- Page Count
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19
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--30423
- Permanent URL
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https://sftp.asee.org/30423
- Download Count
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456
Paper Authors
Robert J. Kerestes University of Pittsburgh
Robert Kerestes, PhD, is the Director of the Electrical Engineering Undergraduate Program and an Assistant Professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Pittsburgh's Swanson School of Engineering. Robert was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He got his B.S. (2010), his M.S (2012). and his PhD (2014) from the University of Pittsburgh, all with a concentration in electric power systems. Robert’s academic focus is in education as it applies to engineering at the collegiate level. His areas of interest are in electric power systems, in particular, smart grids, electric machinery and electromagnetics. Robert has worked as a mathematical modeler for Emerson Process Management, working on electric power applications for Emerson’s Ovation Embedded Simulator. Robert also served in the United States Navy as an interior communications electrician from 1998-2002 on active duty and from 2002-2006 in the US Naval Reserves.
Zhihua Qu University of Central Florida
Damla Turgut University of Central Florida
Damla Turgut is an Associate Professor at the Department of Computer Science at University of Central Florida. She received her BS, MS, and PhD degrees from the Computer Science and Engineering Department of University of Texas at Arlington. Her research interests include wireless ad hoc, sensor, underwater and vehicular networks, as well as considerations of privacy in the Internet of Things. She is also interested in applying big data techniques for improving STEM education for women and minorities. She is PI and Co-PI for NSF-funded REU and RET programs respectively. Her recent honors and awards include 2017 University Excellence in Professional Service Award and being featured in the UCF Women Making History series in March 2015. She was co-recipient of the Best Paper Award at the IEEE ICC 2013. Dr. Turgut serves as a member of the editorial board and of the technical program committee of ACM and IEEE journals and international conferences. She is a member of IEEE, ACM, and the Upsilon Pi Epsilon honorary society.
Abstract
The FEEDER Consortium which consists of twelve universities, seventeen industry partners and two national labs has the goal to enhance curriculum development and education in the study of distributed energy resources. Every summer the consortium offers a program in which students meet at a specific location in the United States and participate in a week-long event, which consists of networking events, technical workshops, industry tours, laboratory experiments and leisure activities. This program works to enhance the workforce development of undergraduate and graduate power engineering students.
In the summer of 2017, the summer program was hosted by the University of Pittsburgh. During the week-long program, students were given two different technical presentations, including a presentation on multi-physics analysis of adjustable speed motor drives, and a presentation on developing demand response programs. Students also participated in interactive workshops on defining the smart grid, distribution line modeling, and researching vehicle-to-grid technology.
The program also had three tours to local utilities. The first tour was a tour of Duquesne Light Company’s operations and training centers. During this tour, students learned about DLC’s new microgrid developments. The second tour was of Mitsubishi Electric, where students toured the high-voltage switchgear manufacturing facility. The last tour was to Eaton’s Power Systems Experience Center, where students participated in an interactive tour of pole mounted equipment, a data center and a power quality laboratory. One day of the summer program consisted of student experiments in an electric power student laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh. In this laboratory, students learned how to use Dranetz meters and take measurements of different three-phase load configurations. This exposed the students to real world phenomena such as resonance of capacitive loads due to transformer inductance.
Concluding the program, the students filled out reports which collected information on their background in electric power and measured their overall evaluation of the program. The data from these questions were used to perform a statistical analysis of the perceived quality of the program and to determine what improvements would be needed for future programs. These reports also had a series open-ended questions addressing the program’s impact. A qualitative analysis was performed based on these open-ended questions.
This article describes the summer program in detail and gives a summary of the student reports. The summary suggests, that this summer program will be one of the most memorable and fruitful experiences of the students’ academic careers.
Kerestes, R. J., & Qu, Z., & Turgut, D. (2018, June), Enhanced Workforce Development via the 2017 FEEDER Student Summer Program Paper presented at 2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Salt Lake City, Utah. 10.18260/1-2--30423
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