About Us
The NC State Student Energy Club was formed on 18th January 2019 as a result of a request for proposal (RFP) issued by NC State’s Energy Collaborative in late 2018. Under the guidance of Professor Joseph DeCarolis, the five students who submitted proposals for this got together and formed the founding committee of the first campus-wide student energy club on our campus.
We believe this club represents a timely need for the University as it addresses the critical challenge of integrating NC State’s energy community which are currently microcosms of path-breaking innovations spread across campus.
Our Mission
The Student Energy Club at NC State focuses on creating pathways to foster active interdisciplinary collaborations between departments at NCSU. Together, we provide a platform for energy experts of today to educate the NC State community on the critical challenges the energy system faces today and the emerging technologies that are being used to mitigate them. Plus, through our platform we provide a wide array of opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to get involved in cutting-edge research in energy technologies and policy.
The Team of 2023-2024
co-President: Gavin mouat
Hi there! My name is Gavin Mouat, and I’m currently a second-year graduate student within the Master of Environmental Engineering program at NC State. Receiving my undergraduate degree in Environmental Engineering in the spring of 2022, I now work within the Johnson Research Group focusing on energy modeling. My current research investigates the effects of state-driven decarbonization policy on techno-economic energy models through the Open Energy Outlook initiative. In my free time, some of my hobbies include long-distance running, backpacking and just enjoying time outside! I’m excited to serve as the Student Energy Club’s Co-President this year!
Co-President: Jada west
My name is Jada West, and I’m a senior at NC State, majoring in Environmental Sciences with a minor in Renewable Energy Assessment. My focus has been in water quality research and ecosystem restoration through my internships. I currently serve as co-president of the Student Energy Club, and it has been a great experience getting to meet different people from different academic backgrounds and learn about their research in the renewable energy realm.
Vice President: Mrinali Kakamare
Hello, I am Mrinali Kakamare. I am a master’s student in my second year having major in Construction Engineering. Happy to have worked with the Student Energy Club since last year. My research interest is in Sustainability. Instead of saying in my free time- it’s my other side that you’ll find me doing artistic activities if I am not doing technical things.
Chair of Mentorship: Kerem Ziya Akdemir
I am a third-year Ph.D. student in Civil Engineering at North Carolina State University. My research includes developing open-source power system models and using decarbonization pathways to analyze the impacts of extreme weather events and renewable energy integration on bulk electricity grids. I am interested in using modeling, optimization, economics, and machine learning to help build a reliable and resilient electricity grid of the future. My hobbies include playing guitar and piano, cooking, hiking, and traveling. I am excited to serve as Chair of Mentorship at Student Energy Club!
Chair of Digital media: Maile Kennaugh
I am a second year graduate student in the Department of Civil Engineering and a full-time transmission line engineer. I hope to be able to implement some of the things I’ve learned at NCSU to help plan for a more energy efficient future given my field of work. In my free time, I enjoy playing video games and surfing.
CHAIR OF GRADUATE affairs: Gavin mouat
Hi there! My name is Gavin Mouat, and I’m currently a first-year graduate student within the Master of Environmental Engineering program at NC State. Receiving my undergraduate degree in Environmental Engineering in the spring of 2022, I now work within the Johnson Research Group focusing on energy modeling. My current research investigates the effects of state-driven decarbonization policy on techno-economic energy models through the Open Energy Outlook initiative. In my free time, some of my hobbies include long-distance running, backpacking and just enjoying time outside! I’m excited to serve as the Student Energy Club’s Chair of Graduate Affairs!
Chair of member engagement: Tara Floess
Our youngest energy club member Tara enjoys attending events and smiling! Talking about the club, Tara said “ba ba da ma da ma!”
Faculty Advisor: Jeremiah Johnson
Dr. Johnson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering at North Carolina State University. Jeremiah Johnson joined NC State in August 2017 as a Chancellor’s Faculty Excellence Program cluster hire in Sustainable Energy Systems and Policy. His research uses systems methods to evaluate the environmental impacts of changes to the power system, including those driven by technology (such as the integration of wind power, solar photovoltaics and energy storage) and policy. Currently, Johnson serves as the principal investigator for a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to study emissions impacts of distributed energy storage used in reliability applications. Additionally, he is co-PI of an NSF project examining the urban food-energy-water nexus, using Detroit and Beijing as case studies. He is currently conducting experiments on university building heating and cooling systems, in an effort to reduce energy losses when their demand is altered to provide power system services. At NC State, Johnson teaches courses related to sustainable engineering, life cycle assessment, and energy systems analysis.