Back on Campus: Fostering Clean Energy Innovation

The atmosphere was electric in the Jack and Shirley Silver Pavilion on April 17, when young alumni working in the energy sector convened at the first-ever Vermont Clean and Resilient Energy Conference and Networking Event. They joined campus and industry leaders to discuss UVM’s role in advancing Vermont’s clean energy goals through use-inspired research and by engaging the next generation of clean energy innovators.

“It was an opportunity to explore the huge potential for energy research and innovation at UVM and the way the university can be a hub for that work and a connector to the companies and people doing that work across Vermont and our region,” said Elizabeth Palchak G’19, director of UVM’s Office of Sustainability. “UVM has a role to play and the ability to do more. This is a real area of strength for us.”

The conference, held during UVM Research Week, was hosted by the UVM Foundation and the UVM Alumni Association’s NextGen Council, a volunteer group of recent graduates that plans events and programs to engage young alumni across the country. Dan Kopin ’17, chair of the Vermont NextGen chapter, first brought the idea of the conference to the university and helped plan it. Kopin is manager of innovation at VELCO (Vermont Electric Power Company).

"The conference demonstrated that Vermont's energy industry, research community, and nonprofit partners are ready and eager to take on challenges facing Vermonters, like how to enhance energy resilience in a world increasingly impacted by the climate crisis,” he said.

Putting clean energy research into action is a critical step toward building a more sustainable and prosperous future. Adoption of clean and resilient energy sources presents a multitude of benefits, including lowering carbon emissions, reducing dependency on natural resources, and decreasing the grid’s vulnerability in the face of natural disasters and other threats.

Palchak says UVM is uniquely positioned to address these challenges thanks to state policy that prioritizes renewable energy, a local business environment that puts an emphasis on innovation and sustainability, and students and alumni who are equal to the task.

“Our students are educated, focused, and passionate, and they want jobs that give them purpose. Recent alumni are reaping the benefits of a UVM education that is allowing them to contribute incredibly important work in the moment of climate change,” says Palchak.

“I left feeling inspired,” says Kopin. “We heard from both established professionals and the next generation of alumni that use-inspired research at UVM will help our communities, that students will make a difference. Now is the time to make something big happen.”