2022 US Black Engineer & Information Technology | ENVIRONMENTAL - VOL. 46, NO. 3

E N V I RONMEN TAL I S S U E CO M P L I M E NT S OF

CLEAN ENERGY FOR ALL Dominion Energy’s Ed Baine discusses the company’s move toward a net-zero future Edward H. Baine, President Dominion Energy Virginia

USBE&IT Environmental Issue 2022 www.blackengineer.com

INSIDE:

Renewable careers will save the planet Presidential energy appointee commits to equitable, just, and fair climate change initiatives Fighting Climate Change

D E V E L O P I N G

T O M O R R O W ’ S

T E C H N O L O G Y

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CONTENTS US BLACK ENGINEER & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

BRINGING TECHNOLOGY HOME TO THE BLACK COMMUNITY

COVER 34

Dominion Energy of Virginia’s President Ed Baine discusses how the utility is changing the world by making a significant impact on climate change, moving our nation to net zero, and reducing carbon and methane emissions

Dominion Energy seeks to expand broadband access to under-served Virginians, in partnership with the Northern Neck Electric Cooperative, and All Points Broadband

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SOLUTIONS FOR THE GLOBAL CLIMATE CRISIS - Here are the solutions

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GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES ON ENERGY - New innovations that will help improve

companies are using in the fight to turn things around. the global environment.

cover photo: Shandell Taylor

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USBE & Information Technology | ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE 2022

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PUBLISHER'S PAGE VOLUME 46 NUMBER 3

DEPARTMENTS

THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ISSUES A CALL TO ACTION

People and Events.............. 8

According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), there’s no more significant challenge today than the climate crisis. The energy department believes that if the country harnesses the American workforce’s talent and grit, we can reduce the threat of climate change.

Recent promotions, breaking news on HBCU campuses, and major events happening in the STEM community.

One on One ....................... 12

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Economic Impact and Diversity ensures that communities achieve energy equity and justice, says new senior advisor Tony Reames.

Career Voices .................... 16 Purpose-Driven Mentoring: How to Find, Pick, and Create Powerful Mentor Relationships.

Corporate Life ................... 18 Behavior and Business: Best Practices in Business Etiquette.

First Steps .........................20 Internships are still a valuable experience for students seeking to get their foot in the door. The 2022 BEYA student awardees tell you why.

Education ..........................24

HBCUs are engaging in innovative approaches and trends in agriculture and IT.

In December 2021, the DOE announced the establishment of the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, which, among other things, will help reduce pollution while benefiting disadvantaged communities.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provided more than $20 billion to establish the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations. The office also supports clean energy technology demonstration projects in areas including clean hydrogen, carbon capture, grid-scale energy storage, small modular reactors, and more. The DOE also announced that the office will expand DOE’s scope to fill a critical innovation gap on the path to net-zero emissions by 2050.

“Thanks to the investments Congress made in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations will move clean energy technologies out of the lab and into local and regional economies across the country, proving the value of technologies that can deliver for communities, businesses, and markets,” Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm said in the statement. “This new office will hire the best and brightest talent to invest, and DOE is calling on anyone dedicated to addressing the climate crisis to roll up their sleeves and join us.”

The office’s programs include billions of dollars to invest in projects in rural areas and communities experiencing climate change’s first and worst impacts. The office will engage environmental justice groups, labor, and communities to help shape program development and execution. In addition to the large-scale projects, DOE will continue to support many smaller-scale pilots and demonstrations needed to meet the administration’s climate goals.

Leading Voices...................38

• Roderick K. Jackson, Ph.D. - Investing in a Clean Future • LaTasha Taylor Starr - ESTe²M Dreamers

Tyrone D. Taborn Publisher and Chief Content Officer

Career Outlook.................. 41

Green Jobs - “There’s a job in renewable energy with your name on it whether you’re just finishing school or spent years working in the fossil fuel industry,” according to the U.S. Department of Energy. If you want to join the clean energy workforce, this career outlook section will show you how.

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USBE & Information Technology | ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE 2022

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SAVE THE DATE FEBRUARY 9-11, 2023 www.beya.org

EXECUTIVE OFFICE Tyrone D. Taborn, CEO and Chief Content Officer Jean Hamilton, President and CFO Alex Venetta, Associate Publisher, Manager of Partner Services Eric Price, Vice President, Recruitment and Professional Training EDITORIAL AND CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Rayondon Kennedy, Managing Editor Lango Deen, Technology Editor Ada Romano, Editorial Assistant Michael Fletcher, Contributing Editor Gale Horton Gay, Contributing Editor Garland L. Thompson, Contributing Editor Roger Witherspoon, Contributing Editor GRAPHIC DESIGN Beverly Wladkowski, Art Director Bryan Davis, Digital Director Rachael DeVore, Digital Channel Manager Courtney Taborn, Digital Marketing Manager DIGITAL PLATFORM DEVELOPMENT Kwan Hurst, Sr. Vice President, Operations, STEM City Stacy Bowles, Digital Platform Development Manager Sterling McKinley, Virtual Events Specialist Nikkie Stevens, Communications and Sourcing Specialist Faye Gruzinski, Events Content Manager CORPORATE AND ALUMNI RELATIONS Dr. Gwendolyn Boyd, CCG Alumni Committee Chair and President Dr. Eugene DeLoatch, Chairman, BEYA Alumni Group Vice Admiral Walter J. Davis, USN (Ret.) National Chair, BEYA Military Alumni Oliver “Bo” Leslie, Retired Program Manager, Historically Black Colleges and Universities/Minority Institutions, Boeing Monica E. Emerson, Women of Color STEM Conference National Chair Matt Bowman, CCG Military Program Manager, Stars & Stripes Committee; Executive Director/Chief of Staff for VADM Walt Davis, USN (Ret.) Ty Taborn, Esq., Corporate Counsel SALES AND MARKETING Gwendolyn Bethea, Vice President, Corporate Development Kameron Nelson, Account Executive Kenyatta Malloy, Sales Support Assistant Jay Albritton, Social Media Specialist JOBMATCH AND STUDENT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS Ashley Turner, University & Professional Relations Development Manager Rod Carter, Recruitment Specialist, College Relations Shelia Richburg, College Coordinator

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PEOPLE &EVENTS HBCU Climate Change Conference Hosts the Eighth Annual Event In collaboration with Texas Southern University, the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice hosted its eighth annual HBCU Climate Change Conference in April. The conference brings together historically Black college and university (HBCU) faculty, students, researchers, climate professionals, advocates, and coastal community residents impacted by buildings and severe weather events. To bridge the gap between theory and the realities of climate change, the conference addressed issues related to community resilience and other major climate change topics, such as transportation, energy sources, carbon emissions, green jobs/green economy, just transition, and community economic development.

Dr. Robert Bullard leads HBCU Climate Change Consortium march

SAVE THEDATE WOMEN OF COLOR STEM CONFERENCE

October 6-8, 2022 National Academies’ Gulf Research Program Awards $8.6 Million to Promote Community Resilience for AtRisk Communities The Gulf Research Program of the National Academies announced new grants in May. The awards are targeted at communities at risk from the impacts of climate hazards. One of the projects receiving awards is the Environmental and Climate Justice Storytellers Collective (ECJS), which allows young people to take on the role of climate journalist and interview organizations working on solving the climate crisis. The ECJS Collective will engage young people in designing digital storytelling templates used to interview scientists and community leaders about environmental or climate justice issues important to them. “STEMMING THE TIDE” aims to train teachers and students in a six-week summer program, allowing students to explore the environmental perils of coastal communities and how to counteract the damage.

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USBE & Information Technology | ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE 2022

Detroit, Michigan, and the WOC STEM DTX Platform

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Secretary, U.S. Department of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm

DOE Awards $3.6 Million to Promote Equity and Diversity in Clean Energy Innovation The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) awarded $3.6 million to diverse organizations through the Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize. According to the DOE, the prize was launched by DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity with additional funding from the Office of Technology Transitions. The prize is designed to support entrepreneurship and innovation in communities historically underserved in federal climate and energy technology funding.

The Phase One winners include Soulful Synergy LLC, which will expand its www.blackengineer.com

energy efficiency program to at least 250 new participants from disadvantaged communities. Feed the Second Line will pilot solar-plus-storage microgrid installations and an apprenticeship program in local restaurants to serve as disaster relief hubs. “The Green Door Initiative in Detroit, MI will expand its climate-smart job training and placement programs, including returning citizens. It will build a model sustainable neighborhood block to create jobs installing solar panels and improving energy efficiency to reduce energy insecurity.” In addition, minority-owned businesses will partner with an HBCU to complete an internship program and an entrepreneurship course focused on battery design, manufacturing, and testing.

The winning teams will receive $200,000

“I’m so proud of DOE, and I want to congratulate the firstever Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize and the 18 winners who are helping build an inclusive community of innovators to tackle the climate problems of today and tomorrow.” in cash and mentoring support. They are also eligible to participate in phase two of this prize, which will conclude in spring 2023 with presentations to a panel of expert reviewers. Phase two winners will split a cash prize pool of up to $1.5 million.

“Delivering an equitable clean energy transition means we must tear down the structural barriers preventing those most impacted by climate change from receiving the support they need to develop solutions for their communities,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “I’m so proud of DOE, and I want to congratulate the first-ever Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize and the 18 winners who are helping build an inclusive community of innovators to tackle the climate problems of today and tomorrow.” S

USBE & Information Technology | ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE 2022

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ONE ON ONE

by Gale Horton Gay editors@ccgmag.com

PRESIDENTIAL ENERGY APPOINTEE WORKS TO ENSURE CLIMATE CHANGE INITIATIVES ARE EQUITABLE, JUST, AND FAIR Tony Reames, a new senior advisor to the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Economic Impact and Diversity, has a passion for ensuring that overlooked communities achieve energy equity and justice.

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ecently appointed by President Joe Biden, Reames is “responsible for energy justice policy and analysis to ensure energy investments and benefits reach frontline communities and Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color.”

Reames said Executive Order 14008 that Biden signed when he first came into office put the government on the path to tackling the climate crisis at home and abroad. Reames implored each agency to look at its programs and funding and determine how each would address the crisis with a big part of that being clean energy, energy efficiency, and other renewable energy technologies.

“At the DOE we are leading the effort in addressing climate change,” said Reames, “whether it’s making energy more affordable, making energy cleaner,

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USBE & Information Technology | DEANS ISSUE 2022

or creating a clean energy workforce that looks like America. So, diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility are key to how we are addressing climate change because we know that communities of color, especially lowincome communities, are impacted first and most by climate change.”

He notes that low-income

Tony Reames, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Economic Impact and Diversity

communities, indigenous people, and communities of color are more significantly affected by the climate crisis than other communities.

As an example of how increasing www.blackengineer.com

“Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility are key to how we are addressing climate change because we know that communities of color, especially low-income communities, are impacted first and most by climate change.” temperatures affect these communities disproportionately, Reames said often they are in urban areas with more impervious surfaces and more asphalt, which means more intense heat and less green space. Residents in these areas frequently live in housing that is less energy efficient and needs more cooling. These factors have a “ripple effect,” he pointed out.

“My role as a senior advisor on energy justice is to ensure that in the ways our department is addressing climate change that we are doing that in a more equitable, just, and fair way,” he said.

One doesn’t have to dig too deeply into Reames’ background to gain an understanding of why energy equity and energy justice are so important to him. www.blackengineer.com

He grew up in rural South Carolina, and his family is from the coastal Gullah/ Geechee area that he said is particularly affected by such climate change effects as rising sea levels and increased hurricanes.

Data shows that low-income households and households of color are less likely to participate in clean energy programs and adopt new technology such as solar energy compared to white households, he said.

His hometown was also an area he now refers to as a “really quintessential environmental justice community”— majority African American, lowincome, high-poverty. It previously was a thriving textile community, but that industry dried up in the 1990s.

County leaders were desperate for economic development and thought that bringing in the state’s largest landfill and maximum-security prison was the answer, said Reames. Other communities with more political capital would have fought against it.

Those developments never fulfilled the economic vision that county leaders thought it would, said Reames. Instead, it made his hometown less desirable for economic development.

“How do we shift different types of funding within the department and work with other partners in the government to eradicate those disparities,” Reames said is a question he and colleagues constantly ask.

Reames left his hometown to earn a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University, a master’s degree of engineering management from Kansas State University, and a Ph.D. in public administration from the University of Kansas. He served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and has worked in both the public and private sectors as a licensed professional engineer.

In its quest to come up with innovative initiatives, DOE is partnering with other government agencies such as Health and Human Services on a research project studying if instead of just helping low-income households pay their utility bills, “can we set them on a path to energy independence and energy security by allowing them to participate in community solar projects?” Reames said.

Making sure that the voices of lowincome, Black, brown, and indigenous people are heard is what motivates Reames daily to do the work he does.

He also pointed out that what challenges him is understanding that disparities and inequities weren’t created overnight or in a vacuum, “yet the time to do something about it seems very short.

“It is a challenge to balance that understanding of the long history and trajectory of building inequality into a lot of systems that we have and balancing that with the urgency to really take a hard shift in the way we approach policy and program implementation,” he said.

On accepting the presidential appointment, Reames has taken a one-year leave of absence from his assistant professor duties at the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS), though he’ll remain connected to SEAS and the Urban Energy Justice Lab. Reames established the lab to conduct research and develop solutions on the production and persistence of racial, income, and geographic disparities in energy access, affordability, decision making, and participation.

Reames said among a number of ways the public can get involved in the climate change issue is to elect

USBE & Information Technology | ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE 2022

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ONE ON ONE leaders who express their commitment to addressing the crisis and to pay attention to such political races as the Public Service Commission (PSC).

3 Tips to Solve Energy Problems

“These are the bodies that play such a major role in what our clean energy future is going to look like,” he said recalling one PSC race that aroused considerable attention and had people in its jurisdiction talking and tweeting about the candidates, attending PSC meetings, and asking questions. “That’s one place where we, average citizens, can engage a lot more through these bodies that are either elected or appointed to make decisions about our energy.”

The fields of energy and climate change will need energetic and dedicated fresh thinkers to tackle the many complex challenges of today and for the future.

Tony Reames, senior advisor to the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Economic Impact and Diversity, offered the following advice to young people interested in having successful careers in these fields: 1.

Asked about opportunities at the DOE for young people interested in energy issues, Reames shared that

“At the DOE, we are leading the effort in addressing climate change.”

2. Become a multi-disciplinarian. The climate and environmental challenges we face are multi-faceted and our solutions must be also. Work to bridge your technical skills and knowledge with an understanding of policy and social sciences.

3. Be innovative and think creatively. The climate and energy space offers many career opportunities to create new roles or positions, companies, organizations, and collaborations that can link your passion, skills, and knowledge to solve the urgent needs of society.

the agency has a minority education program through which internships are offered at the DOE and the 17 national laboratories. These summer internships are open to students at historically Black colleges and universities as well as tribal colleges, other minority-serving institutions, and other schools. These internships serve as a foundation and pipeline to bring diverse people into the DOE. He said many of these students go on to additional DOE internships and fellowships. More information can be found on the website hosted by the Minority Educational Institution Student Partnership Program (MEISPP) Internships | Department of Energy.

There’s also the new Clean Energy Corps that launched as part of the bipartisan infrastructure law that’s expected to create 1,000 new jobs to address all the programs that are part of the bill, he added.

“If we don’t set the right path now, the clean energy future is going to happen, but if it’s not centered on the people who need it the most, it will happen and 12

Think about what problem you want to solve. What issues do you want to tackle? Are there specific communities, populations, or technologies that you are interested in?

Also ask yourself if you have a preference for a particular sector, whether public, private, or nonprofit.

Watch USBE’s Interview with Mr. Tony Reames here: (link to come)

we will have a new energy system, but it will look very similar to the old one with Black and brown and indigenous communities and low-income communities left out,” said Reames. S

USBE & Information Technology | ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE 2022

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THE FIVE TYPES OF MENTORS EVERY PROFESSIONAL NEEDS

A

good mentor is one of the most valuable career assets. Having someone to coach, advise, and advocate for you can help you grow as a professional at a quick and thorough pace. But every individual only has so many skills and strong suits. One person can only open up so many doors for you. While some mentors may provide technical advice related to your job, others might offer strategic guidance related to your career path.

As we’ll see below, some mentors won’t even work in the same company or industry as you.

According to the panelists of a recent discussion at the BEYA STEM Conference, every professional should have five mentors, each performing a distinct role.

Below, we’ll share our speakers’ thoughts on the five types of mentors and why everyone should have one of each.

The Master of Craft

The “master of the craft” is a mentor who has worked in the same (or at least a very similar) role as you and understands the problems you encounter in your job. They may or may not work at the same company as you. They’re in your mentor roster to help you overcome those challenges and achieve technical success in your field.

As Adrienne Somerville of the Naval Air Systems Command said, “This is where we naturally go when we think about mentors. A ‘master of craft’ is someone in your organization who is technically sound not only in the area where you work but also where you want to go.

Wherever you see yourself currently and in the future, it’s ideal to want to have a diverse portfolio of mentors who round you out not only where you

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are but, more importantly, where you can be.”

The Champion of Your Cause

Your “champion” should be a person working in a higher-up position than you within your company. This is the person who will mention your name in meetings in order to get you access to new opportunities.

Renee Reynolds of Naval Sea Systems Command says, “The ‘champion’ is somebody who can advocate for you to put you into positions of influence.

They’re the person who’s screaming your name in rooms where it matters.”

The Anchor

Your “anchor” is someone who can help you build character as you move upwards in your career. Instead of helping you become a better professional, they help you to be a better person (which, in turn, will make you a better professional).

This individual does not have to work in the same job as you, or even the same industry. As long as you find their guidance valuable, they’ll make a great anchor.

Greg Dunn says, “This could be a personal trainer, a coach, someone from church…this is a person whose character you value. Tap into this category to make sure that while you’re trying to become the best engineer or the best leader, your character is aligned to that.”

The Co-Pilot

A “co-pilot” is a mentor who is going through similar struggles to you at the same time you’re going through them.

The goal here is to have someone you can bounce ideas off of, providing mutual guidance as you grow and progress together.

It helps if this person has a similar job

USBE & Information Technology | ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE 2022

Clockwise from left: Felicia Burks, U.S. Air Force; Renee Reynolds, Naval Sea System Command; Adrienne Sommerville, Talent & Technical Solutions, Inc.; Greg Dunn, Lockheed Martin Corporation

to you or works at the same company, but that doesn’t have to be the case.

Greg Dunn of Lockheed Martin Corporation says, “The ‘co-pilot’ is one of your peers, maybe a classmate from school or someone in the industry who has a similar background as you. Maybe they have strengths in some areas you don’t, but it’s really someone who can understand where you’re coming from and help you navigate that field.”

The Reverse Mentor

Mentorship doesn’t just happen from the top down; you’d be surprised how much your senior colleagues will learn from you. The final mentor you need in your roster is a “reverse mentor” who enjoys and appreciates your input.

Adrienne Somerville points out that this mentorship might overlap with one of your other mentorships. “It’s very important when you think about selecting a mentor to interview some candidates because you want to be able to see not only what you’re going to gain from the relationship but where you’re going to be able to add value,” she says. S

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NETWORKING ETIQUETTE 101 featuring Amber Hurt of The Adulting Queen Amber Hurt of the Adulting Queen

where I met all of those people and what we discussed.”

Competitive Conference held in February, Amber Hurt of The Adulting Queen was generous enough to join us on Zoom to answer some frequently asked networking etiquette questions. Here’s what she had to say:

I initially reached out just saying, ‘Hey, we met at the conference. This is what I’m doing now; this is what I’m hoping to do. Let’s stay in touch.”

Q: How do you start conversations in networking situations? What do you say to get the conversation started?

A: “This is definitely scary, especially with online networking, and we’re online way more now than we have been in the past. The key is to find something to connect with the person about. Whether you’ve checked out their LinkedIn, or you met them at a [past] conference, or you just know of them from somebody else, use that as a conversation starter.

W

e all know professional networking is important for career growth and progression. People you know can open up all kinds of doors to opportunity, from landing your first job to gaining promotions with more influence and responsibility. At every stage of your life, you need mentors, advocates, and coaches to help you grow and progress.

But sometimes networking isn’t as easy as it sounds.

Yes, we know that we’re supposed to go to conferences and maintain a LinkedIn profile and check in with our contacts every few months to keep that network strong. But what if that feels awkward?

How do you start those initial networking conversations anyway?

At the 2022 BEYA STEM Global

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Also, if you’re reaching [out] to them, you should have a reason. If you just saw them and thought it would be cool to talk to them on LinkedIn but you don’t have a purpose, then it can be a little more difficult to start the conversation. Going into the conversation discussing what interested you about them and how you found them is a great starting point.”

Q: How do you follow up when you have nothing to offer and don’t need anything but want to maintain the connection?

A: “This is a great question. Again, it comes back to what your purpose was in deciding to reach out to them in the first place. For me, when I went to my first conference as an undergraduate student, what I did was take the business cards I got from everyone and wrote down where I met them because I would not have remembered

USBE & Information Technology | ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE 2022

Q: So I should get business cards? Aren’t they outdated?

A: “Things have changed so much since the pandemic that they aren’t as important. I still do find them valuable, but it depends on what you’re doing and where you’re at in your career.

When I was a student, I had them because we were going to tons of conferences, but now I don’t use my business cards nearly as much.

I definitely don’t think they’re bad; I think it’s more of a personal preference, although they definitely make it easier to give your contact information out in passing, versus telling people to add you on LinkedIn. They just might not remember your name.”

Q: What if they don’t respond—or stop responding—to my messages?

A: “Some of [the people I reached out to after conferences] I’ve probably not talked to ever again since then, and that’s okay. Don’t worry if the conversation dies out, especially if you’re communicating through email.

There shouldn’t be any hard feelings about that.

When you connect with people on LinkedIn, sometimes you’re able to restart that conversation either when you’re in a different place or you see that they’re in a different place and you’re interested in talking to them about it.” S

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FIRST STEPS

by Gale Horton Gay editors@ccgmag.com

2022 BEYA STUDENT WINNERS: MAKING A DIFFERENCE AT HBCUs Fabrication Quality.

Despite upheavals in the workforce due to the pandemic and fluctuating economics, some things remain the same. Internships are still a valuable experience for students seeking to get their foot in the door, gain professional experience, and determine if the careers they are pursuing live up to their expectations.

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For many of the 2022 BEYA student awardees, interning during the summer of 2022 was a top priority to complement their college and university learning.

JARVIS PREWITT

Jarvis Prewitt, 21, is a senior at Alabama A&M University majoring in mechanical engineering with a minor in mathematics. He expects to graduate in May 2023.

In summer 2022, he interned at The Boeing Company in Auburn, WA, as a quality engineer intern in Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA)

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“I will inspect and ensure all manufactured parts are up to code and approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Boeing,” said Prewitt prior to beginning the internship. “Our goal is to make sure that we are providing our customers with the best quality of production while being safe.”

Prewitt, who was bestowed with a 2022 BEYA Student Academic Award, said he obtained his 2022 internship from the Thurgood Marshall College Fund at the 21st Annual Leadership Institute Conference by completing a “very intensive interview process going against the best students at historically Black college and/or universities.”

And this is not his first internship. His first was in the summer of 2021 when he interned at Southern Company where he was assigned to Alabama Power Company. “I worked with Power Distribution Engineers to develop solutions to deliver reliable electricity to Alabama Power Company external customers,” he said.

Jarvis Prewitt, AAMU

“While interning at different companies, I gained more than just an experience; I left with tangible skills, relationships, and connections for networking [including] conflict resolution, leadership skills, problem solving, management skills, and dependability, which were enhanced.

In a blink of an eye, you can be in the presence of any leadership person at any given time, so always be businessand career-ready. Your first impression might be your last impression, so make it count with the necessary resources that you have at your disposal.”

Prewitt offers the following advice to students considering interning: “… sometimes you have to be willing to step out of your comfort zone to fulfill

USBE & Information Technology | ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE 2022

Kailyn Haye, VSU

www.blackengineer.com

the success that awaits you, but most importantly you must be receptive to change and able to adapt. The quality always [exceeds] the quantity, so be the best at all times and make your impact in every room you enter. Your journey starts today and tomorrow awaits your future.”

As for what Prewitt sees in his future: “Upon graduation, I look forward to starting my career in engineering and building the foundation for my mentoring program for students in the ‘Magic City’ of Birmingham,” said Prewitt adding that he also plans to go to graduate school to earn an M.B.A.

KAILYN HAYE

Now a junior at Virginia State University, Kailyn Haye is double majoring in computer engineering and mathematics. She expects to graduate in the spring of 2024, and that following fall she plans to work toward a Master of Business Administration degree as well as a doctorate degree in computer engineering.

Interning is familiar territory for Haye.

In 2021, she interned at IBM on its X-Force Red Penetration Testing team.

“Here I conducted, researched, and practiced several various offensive cyber security attacks and defenses in boot camps. This was done all while shadowing and collaborating with other pentester interns on a cumulative research project that we were able to present to IBM executives and veteran hackers at the end of the summer.” (Pentesters or penetration testers perform simulated cyberattacks on a company’s computer systems and networks to identify security vulnerabilities and weaknesses, she explained.)

This past summer, the 20-year-old interned at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, MD. She

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worked with sensors and imaging systems related to computer vision, GPS denied navigation, and artificial intelligence (AI) in robotics.

“I was able to secure this internship through the student-led program NASA H2O at my university,” shared Haye via email. “Several of the scientists work on the NASA Dragonfly mission work at APL and conduct research at the facility. Through the ATLAS (APL Technology Leadership Scholars) Program, recommended by the scientists and engineers, I was able to obtain this internship.”

“From interning, I definitely learned what it is that I want to achieve in my career as well as what I don’t want to do,” she explained. “Being an intern at different organizations gives you the chance to find what it is you are passionate about/like doing and allows someone to network for their field in the meantime.”

She added that the only way to grow as a professional and as a person is by stepping outside of one’s comfort zone and challenging oneself to do and be better.

“From interning too, I developed a high value for asking questions and being okay not always having an answer. As I was a freshman last summer, when I was at IBM I was very nervous about asking for help or saying something incorrect in the face of such experienced professionals. But this soon faded as I realized that it’s okay to ask questions, they want you to ask questions, to make sure you understand and are getting something out of the experience as well,” she said.

Haye, a 2022 BEYA Student Community Award winner, encourages those who are curious about interning to “definitely do it.”

“I worked with power distribution engineers to deliver reliable electricity to Alabama Power Company external customers.”

-Jarvis Prewitt, AAMU “There are so many avenues that one experience can hold. There are numerous people that you have the potential to meet, and it grants you the opportunity to develop professionally, technically, and personally like never before,” Haye said. “Interning gives you a great idea about what you want to do and don’t want to do as well in your career. If you want a position, I’d recommend doing some work prior to applying to demonstrate your interest in it and the skills acquired (this could be from research, personal projects, or classwork/projects).”

JAMES HALL

James Hall, a 2022 BEYA StudentAthlete Award recipient, is a junior at Alabama A&M University studying mechanical engineering with a concentration in propulsion systems and a minor in computer science. He hopes to graduate in May 2023 but shared that with the added minor it could take “just a tad longer.”

The 20-year-old Hall interned at MIMS engineering in Huntsville, AL, during the summer, where he drafted and designed HVAC, plumbing, and sprinkler systems using AutoCAD and Revit software.

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FIRST STEPS

Internships are still a valuable experience for students seeking to get their foot in the door.

“The opportunity with this company was just a true blessing and surprise when I received a call from Mr. Kevin Mims, who is the owner of the engineering business, asking if I had time to interview with them. I jumped on this offer…,” said Hall of what evolved into his first internship experience.

In early summer, Hall said he was expecting that the internship would provide him with “a true experience in the workforce” especially related to his major.

“I want to be able to help out the company in any way that I can, but I really want to learn. I want to be able to learn, whether it is through mistakes or just talking to anyone in the company to gain knowledge from them,” said Hall, adding that his colleagues are always passing information on to him. “I also want to have a good work environment and enjoy what I do every day.”

He expressed his appreciation to MIMS engineering “because they have accepted me with arms wide open and are constantly helping me through their processes and procedures.”

Hall advises students interested in interning not to give up under any circumstance, especially if an internship isn’t offered. “Do not give up or be discouraged. Keep working hard and keep seeking other opportunities.

Another thing is to use your resources and get your information out because once your information is out, there is no telling whose lap it could easily fall into.”

do both good and bad. Be confident in who you are and know someone needs you and your abilities in their company,” he said.

CHANTELLE WILLIAMS Chantelle Williams is a senior majoring in mechanical engineering and mathematics at Alabama A&M University. However last summer, the 21-year-old Williams ventured into research, interning at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, CA. Her reason for interning for the first time was “to prepare and increase my professional knowledge base.”

“I was able to secure this opportunity through my professor Dr. Mebougna Drabo. He recommended me for this professional internship as well as for the BEYA Student Leadership Award [which I won],” she said.

Williams expects to graduate in spring 2023. She said after graduation, she plans on applying to become an officer in the United States Air Force “as well as furthering my studies by seeking to earn my master’s or doctorate degree in aerospace engineering.”

She suggests that others with high academic and professional goals “never give up on what you want to achieve and to never lose sight of your dreams.”

S

Hall’s final piece of advice is to have fun throughout the process “…even though it is difficult sometimes enjoy every moment and learn from everything you 20

James Hall, AAMU

Williams’ goal in interning was “gaining a wealth of knowledge on various methods on how to use different forms of design software used in the engineering field and the necessary skill set required to secure a lucrative and affluent future for a career in the mechanical engineering industry.”

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Chantelle Williams, AAMU

Check out some of our inspiring student stories on our YouTube page: https://l.ead.me/bd9FSS

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AGRICULTURE OF THE FUTURE: NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR HBCUs

“At a pivotal moment in history, food scarcity, climate change, and urban migration are speedily increasing.”

- Dr. Mohamed Ahnedna, dean of the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, N.C. A&T

A

griculture is evolving at a rapid pace. While it was only in the mid-1940s that tractor power overtook horsepower on American farms, it’s not uncommon to find drones, robots, and satellites on today’s farms. All of this equipment helps farms grow in a more precise way that limits waste and increases productivity.

Food isn’t just “grown” anymore—it’s engineered.

As Dr. Mohamed Ahnedna, dean of the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical (N.C. A&T) State University, says, “Agriculture is not like it was in the old days, with a mule and somebody in a field. It’s high-technology with all the prospects of any science. Gene editing, engineering, and data science are all converging into the space of agriculture.”

These innovations come at a pivotal moment in modern history, with food

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scarcity, climate change, and urban migration all speedily increasing.

According to Ahnedna and other experts, HBCUs should see the growing presence of these issues as a call to action. By putting resources toward helping farmers and training the next generation of agricultural scientists and engineers, universities can have a strong impact on the farming industry.

“The opportunities are bright for HBCUs,” Ahnedna says. “There is a chance for us to really engage and benefit from the new frontier with an agriculture that’s smart, localized, direct to consumer, and responsive to the needs of populations.”

His own university is one of the schools responding to that call. In partnership with seven other 1890 Land Grant universities, NC A&T is currently planning a program intended to get minority students interested in agriculture. “There’s a huge gap in the workforce in this area, and engaging www.blackengineer.com

minorities is one way to fill that gap,” he says. “[The program] is designed to recruit, retain, mentor, and graduate students in this area to make sure we’re feeding a pipeline into this field.”

His agriculture department also collaborates with farms across North Carolina, giving students the opportunity to implement new technologies, and resuscitating many of the farms’ performance.

“By feeding into their resilience, we’re actually making our agriculture community stronger,” he says.

Other schools have similar programs in place. The University of the District of Columbia (UDC) Department of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability, and Environmental Sciences has implemented a professional development program for Black farmers. A partnership with the National Black Farmers Association, the 2020 Cooperative Farmers program is designed to help small farmers access funding and growth opportunities.

“We’ll work very closely with them on business development, looking at value-added products for profitability and sustainability in terms of their businesses,” says Associate Dean William Hare. “We’ll also support them in writing grants so that they can access USDA funds … and get them into a strong system where, collectively, they’ll be able to advocate

for more support from the USDA.” The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food.

UDC maintains several urban food hubs, where food is produced for distribution to the local community.

The university writes on its website, “Our urban food hubs are designed not only to provide access to fresh food, but also to create jobs, improve public health, mitigate water management programs, and create urban resilience.”

These food hubs are also educational centers, offering courses and volunteer opportunities for those who want to learn how to farm. According to Michael Whyte, project coordinator at UDC’s Bertie Backus Food Hub, training city residents in farming is one way to combat the growing problem of fresh food scarcity in urban areas.

engaged within the community so they can produce food themselves locally,” he says. “Through the strategic placement of food hubs around urban areas, we can provide a hands-on platform for residents in food desert communities.”

However HBCUs choose to participate in the 21st century agricultural revolution, one thing is for certain: Food-related problems aren’t going away without scientists and engineers finding innovative solutions. But experts have confidence in the next generation to solve these problems.

As Leslie Glover, a program manager in the USDA’s newly formed Office of Agriculture and Innovation, says, “Necessity is the mother of invention.

At some point, as we start to see food become scarce in more places, it’s going to force us to get even more innovative and to get people involved in the [food production] process.” S

“Our educational training helps to get people

Check out the full panel discussion here: https://l.ead.me/bd9FVl

Clockwise from left: Dwane Jones, dean, University of District of Columbia, William Hare, associate dean, University of District of Columbia, Michael Whyte, project coordinator, University of District of Columbia, Leslie Glover, national resources conversation officer, Department of Agriculture

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The

CLIMATE CRISIS

Solutions

AND

Clean energy technologies of the future

by Ada Romano

These days, you hear the term “climate change” being thrown around constantly, whether it’s in a political setting or just a casual conversation with friends or colleagues.

The truth is the climate crisis has no easy solution; it takes effort and comprehension from everyone who calls Earth home to put plans into place that would halt this destructive phenomenon.

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In order to find solutions to climate change, it’s important to understand what is causing it. In short, human activity is causing climate change. The burning of fossil fuels is increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere, warming the planet.

These gases prevent heat from escaping the atmosphere, causing the global warming we have seen in the past couple of decades. www.blackengineer.com

These changes have worrying implications such as major storms that can be destructive to property, polluting the water supply, and excessive heat that can also be deadly to animals, humans, and crops.

According to NASA, long-lived gases that remain semi-permanently in the atmosphere and do not respond physically or chemically to changes in temperature are described as “forcing” climate change. Gases, such as water vapor, which respond physically or chemically to changes in temperature are seen as “feedbacks.”

“On Earth, human activities are changing the natural greenhouse,” NASA says on its website. “Over the last century, the burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil has increased the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). This happens because the coal or oil burning process combines carbon with oxygen in the air to make CO2.”

The clearing of land for activities such as agriculture releases toxic gases like methane into the atmosphere. Animal agriculture is one of the major causes of this phenomenon. One pound of beef takes 2,500 gallons of water to produce, eggs take 477 gallons of water to produce, and cheese takes nearly 900 gallons of water to produce. Animal agriculture produces 65 percent of the world’s nitrous oxide emissions, which has a global warming impact 296 times greater than carbon dioxide. Raising livestock for human consumption generates nearly 15 percent of total global greenhouse gas emissions, which is greater than all the transportation emissions combined.

Agricultural waste creates agricultural pollution. It releases unwanted materials that are produced in the growing of crops or raising of livestock into our environment. When it comes to farming, this contamination of the environment due to agricultural pollution is concerning, but there are methods to sustainable farming. One solution would be to adapt to a plant-based diet. If you are unable to eat plant-based, another solution would be to cut back on the animal products you are consuming.

Brands like Follow Your Heart and Daiya are making it easy to follow a plant-based diet with their non-dairy substitutes such www.blackengineer.com

as almond milk and dairy-free cheese.

These companies have missions that they outline in order to bring people closer to a plant-based diet.

“At Follow Your Heart, our mission is to produce high-quality plant-based foods to enhance the lives of consumers and contribute to the betterment of the Earth and all its inhabitants. We strive to be innovative and create an enjoyable workplace where everyone can experience personal growth and emotional fulfillment,” Follow Your Heart states on its website. “We know the decisions we make in operating a business impact not only our taste buds, our health, and our wallets, but also our communities and the world. We want to demonstrate leadership as we continue to expand our range of products and look for new ways to innovate in quality and sustainability.”

Activism is another way people are

hope. How dare you? You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words,” she said.

Thunberg has received both praise and criticism for her passionate activism.

Broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough told her she has achieved things many others have failed to do.

“You have aroused the world. I’m very grateful to you,” he said.

Former President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have both been critical of Thunberg’s efforts.

Putin described her as a “kind but poorly informed teenager.”

Thunberg suffers from Asperger’s syndrome, a developmental disorder, but has described her disorder as a “gift.” Her mother, Malena Ernman, is an opera singer and former Eurovision Song Contest participant, and her father, Svante Thunberg, is an actor and a

Although there is no definitive answer to climate change, there are changes that are being implemented. getting involved in saving the planet.

Greta Thunberg is a young Swedish activist who is using her voice to speak out on solutions to slow down climate change. She became well-known after she protested outside the Swedish parliament in 2018 when she was just 15 years old. She went on strike to pressure the government to meet carbon emissions targets.

Today, Thunberg continues to inspire young people around the world to make a change in their daily lives and find a solution to the climate change crisis.

In December 2018, more than 20,000 students skipped school to protest climate change. A year later, she received the first of three Nobel Peace Prize nominations for her climate activism.

A year later, Thunberg attended a UN climate conference in New York where she told world leaders that they were not doing enough to slow down climate change.

“You all come to us young people for

descendant of the scientist who created a model of the greenhouse effect.

Governments around the world are passing bills that would also help the climate crisis. Congress passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act) as a way to tackle deteriorating infrastructure as well as provide clean drinking water and advance environmental justice, according to the White House website.

“The legislation will help ease inflationary pressures and strengthen supply chains by making long-overdue improvements for our nation’s ports, airports, rail, and roads,” the White House states on its website. “It will drive the creation of good-paying union jobs and grow the economy sustainably and equitably so that everyone gets ahead for decades to come. Combined with the President’s Build Back Framework, it will add on average 1.5 million jobs per year for the next 10 years.”

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The auto industry is taking steps toward a new way of life to combat climate change as well. Electric cars are making it easy to get around without having to burn fossil fuels. General Motors has said it aims to stop selling new gasolinepowered cars and light trucks by 2035 and will pivot to battery-powered models. Volvo said it would move even faster and introduce an all-electric lineup by 2030, according to The New York Times.

impact of electric vehicles on our planet.

Although electric vehicles are more emissions-intensive to make because of their batteries, their electric motors are more efficient than traditional internal combustion engines that burn fossil fuels.

The U.S. Department of Energy has its own solutions to climate change. It is supporting research and development to make fossil energy technologies cleaner

on its website.

The department continues to work every day to research, develop, and deploy the clean energy technologies of the future, including battery storage, renewable power, electric vehicles, carbon capture, and resilient grid infrastructure. They say they will continue to invest in companies that are pioneering environmentally friendly technologies.

Dominion Energy is also making strides toward becoming a more environmentally friendly company. It announced a new goal in February 2020 to produce “Net Zero” carbon and methane emissions for both its gas and electric services by 2050 and says it is well on its way to achieving that goal.

Whether it’s electric cars, adding more windmills, or going vegan, everyone can do their part to make changes that will further benefit the planet.

In a report, Dominion Energy states that in less than a decade, it has grown its solar portfolio from 0 megawatts to 2,300 megawatts of solar capacity in operation today. It is also developing the largest offshore wind farm on this side of the Atlantic Ocean and pursuing one of the most cost-effective means to limit greenhouse gas emissions by extending the lives of its nuclear plants.

“For the next decade and a half, current technology will support substantial progress towards our commitments.

After that, achieving our Net Zero goal will require significant advances in technology, particularly to reduce the cost of long-term energy storage and to develop dispatchable zero-carbon generation, but our strategy relies on realistic expectations, rather than theoretical expedients,” Dominion stated in a 2021 report.

Many experts agree that electric cars are better for the environment but recognize that they have their own set of environmental impacts. How are these vehicles charged? How are they manufactured? Coal is being used to charge these vehicles, but how much coal? These are all things to take into consideration when talking about the 26

and less harmful to people and the environment.

“Addressing the effects of climate change is a top priority of the Energy Department. As global temperatures rise, wildfires, drought, and high electricity demand put stress on the nation’s energy infrastructure,” the DOE states

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Although there is no definitive answer to climate change, there are changes that are being implemented that can slowly reach the goals that the DOE, Dominion Power, and other companies have set.

Whether it’s electric cars, adding more windmills, or going vegan, everyone can do their part to make changes that will further benefit the planet. S

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by Ada Romano

Perspectives on

Global Energy E

nvironmental justice is a social justice movement that seeks to dismantle the flawed environmental policies that have long harmed lowincome communities and communities of color, and instead pursue policy and development that work to create a sustainable, cooperative, and equitable future for the environment.

Col. Alphonso Trimble, a Marine Corps veteran, and Nnenna Johnson, an operations research analyst at the Headquarters Department of the Air Force/A9, led a panel on global energy at the 2022 BEYA STEM Conference.

Johnson is a Morgan State University graduate who has been involved with the conference since her freshman year in 2004.

“This is our second installment, our first installment focused on climate change and the interception of energy and the associated STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields that were related to both climate change and energy as we understand it,” Trimble said. “We’d like to further that discussion today. The focus that we hear a lot today is AI (artificial intelligence) and data science.”

Dana Clare Redden is the founder and CEO of Solar Stewards, an organization committed to the advancement of distributed energy resources and the fundamental shift to new business models supporting renewable energy.

She holds a Bachelor of Science

Watch the full Panel Discussion here: l.ead.me/bd9FXQ 28

degree from Drexel University as well as an Executive M.B.A. from IE Business School and Brown University.

Redden grew up in western Pennsylvania, where she learned the environmental impacts of fossil fuels, especially on disenfranchised communities such as communities of color. With her passion for environmental justice, she founded Solar Stewards, a social enterprise connecting corporate social responsibility initiatives with schools and universities, affordable and senior housing, places of worship, and nonprofits in marginalized communities.

“You might hear the acronym ‘CSR’— corporate social responsibility— and corporate renewable energy procurement to opportunities for renewable energy in historically excluded communities,” Redden said. “When I say historically excluded communities, I think that many tend to already know what that means: That means BIPOC communities, or Black, Indigenous, People of Color. We refer to Latinx as well.”

Climate change disproportionately affects those who suffer from socioeconomic inequalities, including many people of color. Environmental racism can be described as unequal access to a clean environment and basic environmental resources based on race. Communities of color suffer from environmental injustice because they are more likely to be impacted by pollution and other environmental hazards in the spaces they occupy.

Activists have called this phenomenon “the new Jim Crow” as people of color are more likely to be victims of inequitable living conditions. According to a report by The Atlantic, more than half of the people who live near hazardous waste are people of color.

The United States oil and gas industry

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releases about 9 million tons of methane gas and other toxic chemicals into the atmosphere. More than 1 million Blacks live within a half-mile of natural gas facilities, over 1 million Blacks face a “cancer risk above EPA’s level of concern” due to unclean air, and more than 6.7 million Blacks live in the 91 U.S. counties with oil refineries. Blacks are also 75 percent more likely than white people to live in “fence-line” communities, which are areas near commercial facilities that produce noise, odor, traffic, or emissions that directly affect the population.

“Energy touches everybody,” Redden said. “Environmental racism is nothing new, particularly with the fossil fuel industry. The toxic legacy of fossil fuels has disproportionately burdened communities of color and historically excluded communities.”

Following the recent call for social justice, Redden says this movement has shined a light on problems disenfranchised communities face. This includes environmental racism, among many other setbacks. She says that in order to achieve environmental equity, we will have to rely on AI, but these technologies have to be available to everyone without excluding minority communities.

Pamela Isom, director of the Artificial Intelligence and Technology Office for the Department of Energy, joined the conversation with her insights on what environmental justice means to her. She www.blackengineer.com

Communities of color suffer from environmental injustice because they are more likely to be impacted by pollution and other environmental hazards in the spaces they occupy.

Col. Alphonso Trimble Marine Corps veteran

Nnenna Johnson analyst, HQ, Dept. of the Air Force

Dana Clare Redden founding CEO, Solar Stewards

Climate change disproportionately affects many people of color. is a leader in ideation with extensive knowledge and experience in applying artificial intelligence in the digital ecosystem, enabling the Department of Energy to fulfill its strategic goals and objectives. Isom was appointed to this role in August 2021 and says it is a privilege to serve as a director in this capacity.

“I basically have been working with the team since that appointment to help us understand and guide the organization towards responsible and trustworthy AI and the adoption, research, and development of capabilities using AI to support energy, support renewables, and all of that, but our solutions have to be responsible,” Isom said.

Isom is the recipient of the 2022 G2Xchange Disruptive Tech Change Agent Award for taking calculated risks and positively disrupting the federal market as well as the 2021 Federal 100 Awards for her exceptional contributions to the way information technology is used to advance vital government missions.

According to a report by Princeton University, the authorities in the United States, as well as the institutions in www.blackengineer.com

place, often treat areas that are home to minority residents as having less value than wealthy and predominantly white neighborhoods. The report says that the burdens of pollution, toxic waste, and poisoned resources are not distributed equally across society.

Isom says that her vision is to transform the Department of Energy into a worldleading AI enterprise. She emphasized the importance of accelerating the adoption, research, delivery, demonstration, and deployment of responsible and trustworthy AI. “We do lead, we organize, and we advocate,” Isom said. “I think that it’s important for folks to understand because we do want to drive change, so you have to figure out the right way to go about it.”

When it comes to driving equity, Isom says that it is important for underrepresented communities to be included in these goals and practices.

“My team in the AI office is there to help guide the right decisions and guide the development of the models that are going to make sure that the distribution is

fair, that we’re considering communities that we may have not thought of,” Isom said.

Isom says her department is currently focusing on climate change and the possibility to distribute clean energy. They are attempting to use artificial intelligence to capture energy underground as well as find energy sources underground.

“AI comes along and runs models to say ‘this is good land’ or ‘this is a good area’ for sequestration to get the carbon emissions out of the air,” Isom said.

“Humans can’t do that. It’s not possible to go underground and figure these things out. AI can do it.”

Redden said that one way of alleviating the climate crisis is getting involved in local elections to bring change when it comes to environmental racism.

“We know the power that local elections have to bring systemic change, and then also you have to have the tenacity, courage, and fortitude to keep at it because we’re seeing history repeat itself in maybe not the best ways,” she concluded. S

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The Changing Energy Workforce How HBCUs are preparing students with new skills for new jobs Edward H. “Ed” Baine was named senior vice president of power delivery at Dominion Energy Virginia in 2019. He assumed his current position as president in October 2020. Baine is responsible for all facets of Dominion Energy Virginia, an electric utility with the generation, transmission, and distribution assets that provide electric service to about 2.7 million customer accounts in Virginia and northeastern North Carolina.

Baine joined the company in 1995 as an associate engineer and held numerous engineering, operational, and management positions. He was promoted to vice president of shared services in 2009 and vice president of power generation merchant operations in 2012. He became vice president of power generation system operations in 2013 and senior vice president of transmission and customer service in 2015. In 2016, he was named senior vice president of distribution in the power delivery group.

He is a member of the boards of directors of the Dominion Energy Credit Union; ChamberRVA, a Richmond, VA-based business membership organization; Venture Richmond; and the Chippenham & Johnston-Willis (CJW) Medical Center. In addition, he serves on the board of visitors at Virginia Tech; the boards of directors of the Southeastern Electric Exchange, the Virginia Tech Athletic Fund, MEGA Mentors, The Valentine Museum, and VA Learns; and as a member of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Research Advisory Committee.

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Edward H. Baine President, Dominion Energy Virginia www.blackengineer.com

Baine earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Virginia Tech and completed the advanced management program at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.

He is a registered professional engineer in Virginia. In March 2021, the Washington Informer ran a profile on him as the first Black administrator to lead Dominion Energy.

USBE: Since 2003, engineering deans at ABET-accredited historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have ranked Dominion Energy as a top corporate supporter in US Black Engineer magazine’s annual survey.

The energy company has also ranked among America’s best employers for diversity (Forbes) and America’s most responsible companies (Newsweek).

It was also named Best for Vets

by Military Times and received a perfect score from the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index.

Ed Baine: Our commitment to industryleading environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance is driven by our belief in a number of areas.

First, we consider the interest of all stakeholders as critical to our success.

Whether that’s shareholders, employees, customers, or communities, we need to make sure that we hear all voices.

We also believe that by excelling in our ESG dimensions, we reduce risk and are well-positioned to address our stakeholder needs, no matter what they are. For some time, we’ve strived to operate in an environmentally responsible manner prior to our net-zero target. With that, we’ve established commitments regarding waste reduction, conservation of water, and other natural resources that go towards our net-zero target.

climate that attracts business and new investments like data centers. Our data center customers in Northern Virginia are very interested in what we do from an ESG perspective and how we progress to our net-zero target.

We have a history of supporting our communities through our focus on supplier diversity and support for higher education. And one of the more recent activities is helping to close the digital divide with our efforts in rural broadband.

All these efforts contribute to economic growth and community well-being. A major component of our ESG focus is our role in the clean energy transition.

We’re investing in clean energy technology and modernizing the grid.

Not only does that help with climate change, but it also helps create jobs and stimulate economic development in our service areas and beyond.

USBE: In 2020, Dominion Energy announced a commitment of $25 million to the six-year “HBCU Promise” program. The program supports endowments, capital projects, and educational programs in clean energy across HBCUs in Virginia, Ohio, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

Ed Baine: Prior to the HBCU Promise, we had been supporting HBCUs for decades. This was a more significant commitment.

Thanks to the HBCU Promise, Virginia State University and Norfolk State University are expanding their summer bridge programs for incoming students interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) majors. Those participating students will attend math and science classes, which will help them move into their freshman year

“It’s a great industry to be in right now. I’ve been in it for the last 27 years, and there’s been more change in the last five to seven years than in the first 20. So, it’s an exciting time and a challenging time.”

As we talk about these things, I want to be clear; we need to make sure that we stay focused on providing safe, reliable, affordable, and increasingly clean energy.

And so, we contribute to a business

www.blackengineer.com

and be better prepared. At Central State University, the HBCU Promise also created a summer institute to include four weeks in the classroom and eight weeks at Dominion Energy.

At North Carolina A&T, the commitment

helped support the newly constructed engineering research and innovation complex that engineering dean (Robin) Coger refers to as ERIC. At South Carolina State University, the HBCU Promise is supporting the expansion of computer, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering programs.

That expansion helps improve the labs and equipment and helps upgrade the program from engineering technology to full engineering certification.

At Virginia Union, the investment will support a workforce development training program. Students will receive a stipend to work at the school and community and endow STEM study programs. The HBCU Promise will provide benefits and support science and engineering programs.

In addition to those things I mentioned, it also helps with scholarships for students at nine universities, whether in engineering, science, computer science, or other STEM-related majors.

There are a number of requirements in the Virginia Clean Economy Act: solar, battery storage, offshore wind, and energy efficiency. As we go through this transition, the workforce is growing, and the skills needed for this workforce are also changing. Some are brand new jobs and require brand new skills, so HBCUs are helping us prepare students for those jobs.

In addition, as we talk about our net-zero commitment, we see ourselves, with the current technologies, with a path to get the majority of the way there.

But there is still the need for innovation and research on new technologies.

So, several HBCUs help support those efforts as well.

USBE: Dominion Energy is investing in clean energy such as solar and wind. It expanded its solar portfolio to the second-largest among utility holding companies and completed the installation of the first wind turbines ever in federal waters.

Ed Baine: We are directly recruiting students from specific schools and specific localities, who, if they perform well, are ultimately recruited as full-time employees. We host our annual Careers in Energy Diversity Student Conference.

We are the first and only company that I’m aware of in the industry that hosts

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a conference for diverse students on this scale. We hosted over 120 students representing 26 states and over 60 schools. Each participant is invited to interview for a full-time summer internship, and again, if they perform well, it ultimately turns into a full-time job. We work with many organizations.

One, in particular, is the Chesapeake Solar & Storage Association (CHESSA) to sponsor events such as the Clean Tech Opportunity + Equity Series that is focused on filling the tech pipeline with diverse talent and creative minds. Last fall, Dr. Javaune Adams-Gaston, president of Norfolk State University, served as a speaker in discussing the role of HBCUs in the clean tech industry.

We’ve also collaborated with the Virginia Community College System and the Community College Workforce Cooperative for training needs in clean energy jobs. And then, even on a local level, like the city of Virginia Beach, they work with Tidewater Community College with a $1.2 million grant for equipment and workforce training directly related to our offshore wind industry.

Part of the higher education contribution is about making sure there is the curriculum and a talent pipeline to help address workforce needs. Another part is about the programs and research that support the needs of our industry in the future as we transition to cleaner energy.

USBE: Will HBCU communities be served by the wind project expected to be complete by 2026? If so, which ones and how are the campuses involved?

Ed Baine: If you look in close proximity, you have Norfolk State and Hampton University among the universities we serve. But the way the grid works will support a broader region, so in essence, our offshore wind project will support the Commonwealth of Virginia and all HBCUs. But there are other ways the students and professors are getting involved with offshore wind. During the open house for our offshore wind project, we engaged a Hampton University engineering professor, an electromagnetic field (EMF) expert, to help answer questions from homeowners near the proposed onshore transmission lines. This allowed us to include a local higher education expert in the community engagement process and 32

In September 2021, The Nature Conservancy and Dominion Energy Virginia announced an innovative collaboration to develop one of the first utility-scale solar projects on former surface mines in the coalfields of Southwest Virginia. gave the university firsthand experience in developing a project. There are other examples where we are engaging HBCUs, community colleges, and the community at large for individual components of the project.

USBE: How are HBCUs with agriculture programs helping develop renewable natural gas, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, capture methane from farm waste, and convert it to renewable natural gas?

Ed Baine: Align RNG, our venture with Smithfield Foods, is engaging North Carolina A&T with renewable natural gas research and development. And we are also in discussion with North Carolina A&T about the installation of a small anaerobic digester at its research farm to test and research various aspects of renewable natural gas production and greenhouse gas reduction.

USBE: Smithfield Foods, a global food company, and the world’s largest pork processor, also maintains animal care, community involvement, environmental and food safety, and quality programs. Recently, John Kerry, United States special presidential envoy for climate, said countries engaged in the race to reverse climate change are not in the realm of impossibility. He added that there is no energy security without sustainable sources and clean energy.

Ed Baine: We are working on projects across the Commonwealth of Virginia and will continue to do so for at least the next decade and a half. In addition, we are always focused on providing reliability and resiliency for

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our customers, including minorityserving institutions. We are investing in transmission assets and a grid transformation plan as well as energy storage. And we are in discussion with a minority-serving institution on an energy storage project on its campus.

These efforts help us reach our goal and provide valuable information that helps us get better every day and provide educational opportunities for students.

Tips and advice for a net-zero future Ed Baine: To students, consider fields of study and careers that support the transition. As I said earlier, this is a long-term effort, and it is complex, so we need innovative thinking and people from different disciplines to help us achieve those goals. They need to suit up and play.

Of course, you can participate in volunteer activities focused on sustainability; they can minimize their carbon footprint by looking at transportation and consumption choices. There are organizations like the Association for Sustainability in Higher Education where people can get involved.

But Dominion Energy is always recruiting.

If you want to make a significant impact on climate change, make a significant impact on moving our nation to net zero, reduce carbon and methane emissions, come work with us because we have a great capability to do that. It’s a great industry to be in right now. I’ve been in it for the last 27 years, and there’s more change in the last five to seven years than in the first 20. So, it’s an exciting time and a challenging time. S www.blackengineer.com

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Roderick K. Jackson, Ph.D. Distinguished Member Research Staff, Laboratory Program Manager, Building Technologies Research, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Investing in a Clean Future G

US Black Engineer & Information Technology (USBE&IT) magazine launched the maiden issue of Leading Voices (LV) in the fall of 2017. Broken up into three or four columns written by inventors, entrepreneurs, and STEM policymakers, the section spotlights the 14 challenges outlined by the National Academy of Engineering, and disruptors such as artificial intelligence and bioengineering. LV has provided perspectives on smart cities, building a weather-ready nation, and where AI is in your future. An auspicious start for one of USBE magazine’s newest sections.

Leading Voices is available in print and online at www.blackengineer.com

Leading Voices Contributing Editors .........................

Roderick K. Jackson, Ph.D.

Distinguished Member Research Staff, Laboratory Program Manager, Building Technologies Research National Renewable Energy Laboratory National Science Foundation

LaTasha Taylor Starr

LM Associate Fellow, Systems Engineer Senior Staff Lockheed Martin Aeronautics

rowing up in Mississippi, I saw firsthand how vastly different communities survived or thrived, greatly impacting its people. Today, as an advocate for science and a champion for energy equity, I want to ensure the technical innovations we explore will help all communities, especially ones where the residents have few resources to meet their essential needs.

When we talk about clean energy and a clean future, many people wonder what that means, what it looks like, and why is it important to me. Take, for example, any plugged-in device that we use today. Rarely do consumers think about what’s on the other side of the process of acquiring and using electricity, but that electricity is being generated somewhere. Oftentimes that energy is being generated in dirty ways, like taking fossil fuels (e.g., coal) and burning them. “Dirty” because these processes cause smoke and create carbon dioxide and other harmful emissions that cause our climate to change. You don’t have to be a scientist to recognize if you release something in the air, it doesn’t magically evaporate. It’s getting trapped in our atmosphere and causing our climate to change. While electricity has allowed us to get where we are economically and it’s important to have it, we have to sincerely reconsider the way we’ve acquired it up to this point in history.

Discussing a clean energy future asks—and hopefully answers—this question: how do we still get electricity and continue to enjoy the lifestyles we have without creating harmful carbon emissions that accelerate climate change? The sad reality is, when the effects of climate change occur, those who suffer most are often in the most vulnerable populations. We want to mitigate some of these things from happening by finding other resources for electricity. One of those is solar energy.

We can collect energy from the sun when it is out, take that sunlight, and convert it to electricity. We alleviate the need to burn coal that releases carbon and avoid negative by-products that impact climate change. This is just one simple way we look to create a clean energy future for global populations.

Many leaders understand the urgency. As

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stated in Executive Order 13985, “for too many, the American Dream remains out of reach. Entrenched disparities in our laws and public policies, and in our public and private institutions, have often denied that equal opportunity to individuals and communities.” For example, historical red-lining in many parts of the country has resulted in the continued degradation our country’s infrastructure in minority areas.

Buildings were not invested in throughout these areas because they were considered risky investments. This reality results in many challenges that we have to reconcile.

But we have to come to a sincere understanding of where things are.

First, we must acknowledge that all communities are not at the same level.

Due to historical under-investment, some are less able to transition than others. If we continue to not focus on the specific clean energy challenges of these communities, we will effectively expand the existing gap. Next, we need to ensure that we’re developing technologies and solutions that address the problems.

We also have to present solutions that focus on energy equity and ensure a just transition. Finally, we need to make sure the technology coming down the pipeline today doesn’t create new problems that will need to be addressed tomorrow.

Fortunately, there are ways people can get involved now. It is imperative that we understand the institutional challenges that exist, recognize, and adjust existing systems, and bring an equitable perspective to technologies we’re developing. It’s not enough for us to pursue a clean energy future if it will increase injustices that exist today. We cannot be solely and myopically focused with this endeavor.

To address climate change, we need to focus on creating a clean energy future that is equitable, and we need to make sure we have more professionals in STEM fields who can bring a more complete perspective, experience, and background to find the most effective solutions. A diverse representation that includes more black, indigenous, and people of color will help ensure our future is driven by clean equitable energy.

www.blackengineer.com

Leading Voices

LaTasha Taylor Starr, LM Associate Fellow, Systems Engineer Senior Staff

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics

ESTe2M Dreamers T

Throughout my engineering career in industry and academia, I’ve experienced firsthand the lasting impact that support and mentorship can have on self-actualization, from an early age. This is why I started ESTe2M Dreamers—to nurture the next generation of leaders through confidence, creativity, and competence development. My co-founder and I expose students to STEM via handson projects and experiential learning opportunities. We have special programs and activities for BIPOC youth, and as African-American STEM professionals, we believe representation truly matters.

Our girls and boys need to see someone who looks like them to help expand their perimeter of possibility and create an “If they did it, so can I” mentality. That mindset (to dream and wonder “what if?”) is why we call our nonprofit organization ESTe2M Dreamers.

Our nonprofit develops STEM-based curriculum, afterschool programs, and interactive experiment kits that are distributed monthly to customers around the world. Kits are mailed directly to our subscribers and contain all the items students need to complete their very own STEM experiment each week. With over 25 topics to choose from, each activity is designed to spark wonder and imagination while giving students the encouragement and affirmation that is lacking in many of their school and community environments. For students of color, our STEM programming places a unique emphasis on relatability and provides rare moments to connect with minority STEM leaders who have completed many of the milestones they are currently working toward.

Our STEM portfolio includes several projects geared toward increasing STEM exposure throughout underserved communities. We recently completed our first documentary, giving us yet another tool in our toolbelt for reaching even more students through our practical approach to STEM education. “STEM Roots” follows our quest to guide AfricanAmerican girls through the genealogy and genetic engineering process, utilizing engineering, chemistry, and biology. High school girls matriculate through the www.blackengineer.com

journey of discovering who they are using DNA analysis and cultural connections.

Not only are they learning more about the continent of Africa as a whole, but they learn about the individual countries they come from and their specific tribe.

More importantly, they learn about STEM processes related to genetic discoveries that are possible through DNA extraction.

Many African Americans have been denied the privilege of knowing where they come from, leaving them with only an abstract association to the African continent.

This documentary addresses this disconnect by responding to the desire for increased awareness and cultural gap closure. Making the connection between African-American and African communities stimulates fellowship among both ethnicities, one that focuses on commonalities, not differences. Through

How much more confident would you be if you knew more about who you are and where you come from?

STEM, we build empathy between both communities and give participants the information they need to pay homage to their ancestral roots. We’re helping them connect the dots and write their own story of who they are and how STEM contributes to their genetic makeup. We show them how STEM can prepare them for successful, lifelong careers through an experience that allows participants to see themselves as actual STEM professionals.

They transform into researchers who are leading the charge to better understand their own identity. How much more confident would you be if you knew more about who you are and where you come from? Can one’s self-esteem be enhanced through STEM experimentation and discovery?

This documentary explores both those questions, and it’s hard to contain the magic that ensues when students are

provided with information that connects them to a history that is vibrant and full of pride. Learning heritage through STEM sets the stage for students to have new conversations they weren’t able to have before, due to a lack of knowledge and awareness. We want them to see themselves in a different light and learn more about the characteristics that make them special. Were their ancestors entrepreneurs? Farmers? Warriors? Could those same character traits be used to describe the participants and their families today?

The film highlights our approach to using a student’s natural curiosity about who they are and where they come from, to propel them into science and engineering experimentation. Once we have their attention, we show them how STEM provides a window into who they are. By connecting STEM to genealogy and ancestry, we optimize their inquisitive nature to increase their desire for exploration. It was imperative to connect the minorities featured in this documentary to something greater than the trans-Atlantic slave trade, poverty, or any of the oppressive methods that have been used to negatively impact members of the African diaspora for generations.

STEM Roots is just one example of how we can positively illuminate their pathways, from both a cultural and scientific perspective. Our next documentary will take African-American boys on a similar scientific cultural journey that uses self-esteem building techniques as a catalyst and a tool for them to achieve their dreams. S

Read about other STEM Leaders at www.blackengineer.com

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CAREER OUTLOOK “There’s a job in renewable energy with your name on it. Whether you’re just finishing school or spent years working in the fossil fuel industry,” according to the Department of Energy (DOE). In 2019, 11,000 jobs in renewable technologies were created. The DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), described as “the hub of renewable energy applied research, development, and demonstration activities in the United States,” has identified at least six types of renewable energy.

www.blackengineer.com

INSIDE >

Industry Overview The Renewable Energy Industry

>

Job Horizon Careers in Renewable Energy

>

People to Know How HBCUs Are Tackling the Climate Crisis

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CAREER OUTLOOK

CAREERS IN

a w e Ren

y g r e n E ble

ACCORDING TO THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, THE TWO FASTEST-GROWING OCCUPATIONS ARE SOLAR PV INSTALLERS AND WIND TURBINE TECHNICIANS.

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www.blackengineer.com

INDUSTRY OVERVIEW

The next five to 10 years are promising for renewable energy employment.

RENEWABLE ENERGY, fueled by federal investments and legislation, has seen skyrocketing growth over the last several years. Over 10 million people are employed in renewable energy positions worldwide.

the need for employees in this industry.

Renewable energy, such as wind, water, and solar energy, is an ever-expanding group of careers, both in the private and public sectors. Renewable energy jobs have a positive impact on the environment when compared to nonrenewable energy use, as they do not deplete Earth’s resources and have a lesser carbon footprint in most cases.

For example, an energy analyst, a professional who helps others improve their energy efficiency, can command a salary between $49,000 and $86,000.

There are many different career paths for job seekers and students interested in renewable energy, both for those seeking blue-collar positions and those seeking white-collar jobs.

WHAT IS RENEWABLE ENERGY? Renewable energy is energy that comes from renewable sources that replenish much more quickly than nonrenewable energy. In general, these energy sources are sustainable, such as energy derived from the motion of tidal waves or energy derived from sunlight.

While nonrenewable energy such as oil replenishes too slowly, with some predictions estimating 2052 as the date the world’s oil reserves will be depleted, renewable energy can provide virtually infinite amounts of energy. This abundance of availability coupled with the rapid depletion of nonrenewable resources has created a prime opportunity for investment and expansion of renewable energy production, which has, in turn, increased

CAREERS IN RENEWABLE ENERGY Depending on the position and level of employment, salaries for careers in renewable energy can range from $40,000 to over $150,000.

An electrical engineer working in a renewable energy field such as a wind farm might command a salary of $61,000 to $130,000 or more.

For job seekers and students looking to enter the management portion of renewable energy, a power plant manager can command a salary ranging from $105,000 to over $140,000, with a national average salary of roughly $125,000.

There are several major trends in renewable energy employment that job seekers and students should be aware of.

With a rapidly approaching future where nonrenewable energy sources are completely depleted, as well as The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that has increased available funding for eco-friendly infrastructure, there is a steady increase in demand for renewable energy professionals.

The International Energy Association (IEA) has reported that renewable electricity generation has increased by 7 percent, mostly due to wind and solar photovoltaic cell technologies.

increases at the 12 percent level in order to meet a goal of net-zero carbon emissions. How can the United States and international powers meet this benchmark? The solution is an increase in renewable energy infrastructure and professionals.

Since 2000, the share of power generated by renewable energy sources increased from 18.5 percent to almost 30 percent. One very promising sign that the growth of renewable energy will continue and possibly increase even more dramatically is that despite the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw record low business and transportation, renewable energy production increased substantially. In fact, all other types of energy sources saw a decline in production due to COVID-19.

The next five to 10 years are promising for renewable energy employment.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the two fastest-growing occupations are solar PV installers and wind turbine technicians.

Both of these occupations grew by over 50 percent in the past year! Meeting the increased demand, the dire situation with nonrenewable energy sources and a generation of students and new professionals with a culturally ingrained burden for protecting and improving the environment, the next decade of renewable energy production is promising and attractive to job seekers and students looking to train for a career in renewable energy. S

The IEA also set a need for future

Read about other STEM Leaders at www.blackengineer.com

www.blackengineer.com

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CAREER OUTLOOK

The Renewable Energy Industry

The renewable energy industry has a wide variety of geographical job locations, career options, salary ranges relative to educational level, and a promising future.

O

ne in 10 renewable energy jobs worldwide is found in the United States, which employs over 850,000 renewable energy professionals.

This includes roughly 250,000 solar photovoltaic positions—everything from designers to engineers, to installers.

The U.S. also employs over 300,000 biofuel positions. Biofuels are produced from biomass, or materials derived from living organisms (or recently living organisms), such as plants, grains, plantbased oils, and animal-based oils. Most biofuels for transportation fall into two categories: ethanol and biodiesel. Many biofuel refineries are located in the Midwest and Great Lakes area. Some are located on the West Coast.

This variety of geographical hubs allows for great access to many Americans living across the country. Different occupations in biofuels include chemists and other scientists who research and develop new biofuels, agricultural

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professionals who grow and harvest the fuel source, the construction workers and engineers who build infrastructure and maintain it, workers who process the energy sources into biofuel, and even the sales staff who sell it to clients.

Another exciting career path lies within wind power generation. Onshore wind energy capacity is expected to expand by over 50 percent by 2024. The United States employs over 114,000 people in wind energy production. There is a greater concentration of wind energy production in the Midwest, Southwest, and Northeast. However, there are wind energy jobs in all 50 states in varying careers.

Many professionals work to make wind-generated electricity a possibility.

One important area for job seekers and students to consider is in the manufacturing of wind turbines.

Wind turbines are massive, complex machines that must be designed, built, www.blackengineer.com

JOB HORIZON

installed, maintained, and operated by different STEM professionals such as scientists, engineers, and technicians.

Many types of engineers are employed in the wind power industry: aerospace engineers, civil engineers, computer engineers, electrical engineers, environmental engineers, health and safety engineers, industrial engineers, materials engineers, and mechanical engineers.

is the website for the Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov. There you’ll find descriptions of virtually any occupation, along with ways to prepare yourself within a college program or beyond.

How can college students, recent college graduates, and job seekers prepare themselves to enter the renewable energy industry? Any college student seeking a career in renewable energy should consider first what possible career paths interest them. They might wish to speak to local engineers or local companies. Many company websites and college websites have pages dedicated to describing the types of tasks each occupation engages in.

Gaining a graduate degree, such as a master’s or doctoral degree, will possibly grant access to a number of jobs such as supervisory and seniorlevel positions. Computer science and information technology degrees will help prepare applicants for programming, implementing, and maintaining the technological side of renewable energy.

Another great source of information

www.blackengineer.com

Depending on the occupation you wish to pursue, you’ll most likely need an undergraduate degree. Most types of engineers can seek a variety of career paths, such as electrical, aerospace, mechanical, chemical, etc.

Additional certifications may be required depending on the career path you choose, such as professional engineer licensure. Technicians and other blue-

One in 10 renewable energy jobs worldwide is found in the United States.

collar career paths may still require an associate’s degree or a certificate from a technical school.

No matter what level of employment you seek, studying as an intern and later as a junior team member will be essential preparation for the tasks required of entry-level positions in renewable energy. Learning the technical skills and soft skills, while building a network and reputation, will be foundational preparation for later career growth. S

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CAREER OUTLOOK How HBCUs Are Tackling the Climate Crisis THE 2022 HBCU CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE

by Dru Hawkins

This past year, historically Black

colleges and universities (HBCUs) have worked hard to come up with practical solutions to the climate change crisis.

In April 2022, Texas Southern University hosted the 8th annual HBCU Climate Change Conference in New Orleans, LA, in collaboration with the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice’s HBCU Climate Change Consortium.

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The consortium was formed in 2015 to raise awareness about the disproportionate impact of climate change on marginalized communities and is made up of 30 colleges and universities throughout the Southeast U.S. The organization has a mission to develop HBCU students, leaders, scientists, and advocates on issues related to climate change. This was the conference’s first in-person event since the pandemic.

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Each year the conference is held to unite HBCU students, researchers, faculty, climate professionals, and coastal community residents that are affected by severe weather caused by or related to climate change.

This year, the conference had a goal to work to eliminate the gap between theory and day-to-day realities of climate change, including issues such as www.blackengineer.com

PEOPLE TO KNOW

climate justice, adaptation, community resilience, global climate problems, and other climate change topics. Another main focal point is the urgent action needed for pollution cleanup in poor communities and communities of color.

Each issue is thoroughly discussed at the conference before coming up with practical solutions.

A few of the research themes of this year’s conference included tracking air pollution in St. James and St. John the Baptist parishes in Louisiana, and the city of Houston, TX, as well as building flood protection in the port cities of Gulfport, MS, and New Orleans, LA. Another research point was measuring the impact of pollution on environmental health in communities of color across the U.S. This year, contributors to the conference made it a point to not only incorporate college students into activities but also get active efforts from high school students. Activities included things like computer-simulated games that put into perspective the realities of climate change for younger students.

Several students, both high school and college, left the conference inspired and ready to do more.

“What I learned from the conference is the student activism and seeing what’s coming in terms of taking responsibility because we’ve seen that this work takes decades. It takes years, and we don’t have years,” said Karis Thomas, firsttime conference attendee and student at Howard University.

Other student attendees left the conference feeling more knowledgeable about climate change.

Aside from HBCUs and their students at the conference, other organizations contributed to the event. They include the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Southeast Region, and the Climate Adaption Science Center (CASC).

Along with staffing an exhibit, CASC sent five climate fellows who had the task of communicating with HBCU students about the opportunities that USGS has, as well as recruiting pathways and relationships with HBCU students for the future. www.blackengineer.com

White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council members were also in attendance. Dr. Robert Bullard, distinguished professor at Texas Southern University (Houston), and Dr. Beverly Wright, executive director of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, Inc., co-founders of the conference, are members of the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council. They spoke about their excitement over new developments to come in the future.

“The movement has changed, and it’s resourced for the first time at a level higher than it’s ever been before,” Wright said at the conference.

Through an executive order signed by Pres. Joe Biden in January 2021, the

“The movement has changed, and it’s resourced for the first time at a level higher than it’s ever been before.”

Dr. Beverly Wright, executive director of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, Inc.

White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council was established to advise the Council of Environmental Quality and the White House Environmental Justice Interagency Council to increase the federal government’s efforts to address environmental injustice. The council’s efforts will include a range of strategic, scientific, technological, regulatory, community engagement, and economic issues related to environmental justice.

PRAIRIE VIEW A&M CLIMATE CHANGE PROJECT AND STUDENT INVOLVEMENT While the annual climate change convention is a major collaborative effort, several HBCUs, including Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU), are ramping up projects of their own on

campus.

Back in 2016, a research project was created on the PVAMU campus to help determine the impact of climate change on cotton, corn, and sorghum. At the time an Eddy Covariance (EC) Flux Tower was installed on the campus’ research farm to capture data.

More recently, PVAMU’s College of Agriculture and Human Sciences has installed sensors in research testbeds, with efforts spearheaded by associate professor Ram Ray, Ph.D. and members of the college’s Cooperative Agricultural Research Center Natural Resources and Environmental Systems. The sensors gauge carbon dioxide and methane levels, as well as evapotranspiration. This is all a part of a climate change practice study.

Students at PVAMU have played a role in monitoring parameters, including soil moisture, precipitation, air temperature, wind speed, solar radiation, humidity, evapotranspiration, and greenhouse gases.

Ray explained the importance of getting students involved in projects like these on campus.

“All undergraduate, graduate, master, and Ph.D. students are involved in every project because it is not possible without their support,” Ray said. “They help me with collecting data, measurements, and samples. We need their support, but they also need to learn something new that they cannot learn in their day-to-day classes.”

When speaking about the important roles that students play in the projects, Ray specifically highlighted the work of electric engineer major and student researcher Reggie Jackson.

“We have a student from the College of Engineering, and this is very interesting to them because they are learning about the sensors which relate to electrical engineering, and they come here to the research farm and see how we are using them to monitor the parameters that we use for climate change,” Ray said.

Students are able to gain important experience and insight through the project that they are not able to in the classroom alone.

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PEOPLE TO KNOW

“There is no course that can fully explain climate change better than a hands-on project like this one,” Ray said. “Students are able to understand what is climate change, what can we do about it, and how we monitor all of this.”

one being MSU.

The goal of the project is to measure the impact that climate change has on things like crop water, requirements, crop nutrient, and soil and water qualities for cotton, corn, and sorghum at Brazos River Watershed.

Below are a few of the MSU students involved in the project.

The long-term goal of the project is to gain correct insight so that they can train limited resources, socially

“What I learned from the conference is the student activism and seeing what’s coming in terms of taking responsibility because we’ve seen that this work takes decades. It takes years, and we don’t have years.”

Karis Thomas, first-time conference attendee and student at Howard University.

disadvantaged farmers, ranchers, and other stakeholders on the outcomes of the project to improve their farm operations.

MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS Students from Morgan State University (MSU) are also doing their part in starting important conversations and educating others regarding the climate change crisis.

Project Citizen: Climate360 is a website formed in collaboration between a diverse group of students from across the United States that are devoted to reporting on climate change. Students come from four different universities, 44

Students from MSU occupy several different roles on the project to keep it up and running including executive producer, managing editor, and content producers.

MSU senior Alexis Durham is a content producer for the Climate360 project who studies multimedia journalism.

Durham has grown fond of writing and videography, thus explaining her involvement with the Climate360 project.

She hopes to one day produce her own

Jeffries has a long-term goal to join the world of journalism and contribute to the spreading of news effectively across several platforms. Jeffries helped publish an article for the project that discusses climate change and how it is creating the new normal of California wildfires.

MSU junior Micah Caldwell is a managing editor for the Climate360 project who is studying multimedia journalism. Aside from working on Climate360, Caldwell serves as a member of MSU’s National Association of Black Journalists Executive Board as social media manager. Caldwell is also a member of the Wall Street Journal-MSU

The Deep South Center for Environmental Justice in collaboration with Texas Southern University hosted the in-person Eight Annual HBCU Climate Change Conference April 13-16.

content for television and radio.

Business Exchange program.

Durham has created and published several videos regarding climate change, one that answers the question as to why some people seem to not care about climate change and another one where she and other journalists give climate coverage a report card.

MSU junior Julien Johnson is a content producer for the Climate360 and studies multimedia journalism and entrepreneurship. Aside from working on Climate360, Johnson has his own podcast, “The Versatility Podcast,

MSU senior Brian Jeffries is an executive producer for the Climate360 and a senior multimedia major as well.

Jeffries is a U.S. Navy veteran who has an associate degree in broadcast journalism from San Diego City College. Aside from writing, Jeffries is also an editor who does copy editing, photo editing, and video editing.

USBE & Information Technology | ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE 2022

” where he discusses several different topics ranging from societal issues, sports, business, and more.

Aside from publishing and managing content regarding climate change, students also contribute to pushing out science, tech, energy, and economyrelated content.

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