A renewed power and energy initiative development at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering

Abstract

The University of Pittsburgh, Swanson School of Engineering has embarked on a proactive approach to the issues faced by the power and energy industries of an aging workforce, infrastructure degradation, and technology development deficiencies that have evolved somewhat unabated over the past several decades. A renewed power and energy program initiative has been developed with inclusive components to academic and research programs in three key areas: electric power, nuclear, and mining engineering. This inter-disciplinary program, entitled the Power and Energy Initiative, has been developed in close collaboration with industry partners and also supports strong synergies with the School's Mascaro Sustainability Initiative, establishing a foundation for a comprehensive approach to energy and the environment. The Power & Energy Initiative includes renewed program options for undergraduate and graduate students and opportunities for faculty research activities across the School's six departments (i.e., Chemical, Civil and Environmental, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Industrial, and Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science). The Power & Energy Initiative being implemented at the University of Pittsburgh is unique in its combination of electric power, nuclear, and mining engineering, in conjunction with sustainability; and thus provides a strong cross-disciplined level of diversity for student opportunities, faculty research areas, and industry and government participation. A description will be provided of the modernized educational curriculum and research programs that are being developed and implemented for the initiative. An overview will also be given on the unique opportunity that the Pittsburgh region provides for developing a strong industry-academia collaboration that can address the needs of the power and energy industries, and the role that industry has played in the initiative's development.