Power and energy engineering program development at the University of Pittsburgh School of Engineering - electric power engineering (I)

Abstract

In launching a proactive approach to problems faced by the power and energy industries of an aging workforce, infrastructure degradation, and technology development deficiencies, the School of Engineering, University of Pittsburgh is developing comprehensive academic and research programs in three key areas: electric power, nuclear, and mining engineering. This over-arching program, entitled the Power and Energy initiative, includes the development of options for undergraduate and graduate students across the School's six departments (i.e., Chemical, Civil, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Industrial, and Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science). In combination with the School's Mascaro Sustainability Initiative, the groundwork is being laid for a comprehensive approach to energy and the environment. Recently, students from these diverse engineering disciplines have shown a strong interest in these fields; concomitantly, the power and energy industries are anticipating the need for a significant number of new hires and a 'new generation' of power and energy engineering professionals. The University of Pittsburgh has traditionally been an educational leader in the energy arena. This has provided a rich history and natural base for an academic and research resurgence in these fields. Here we provide a detailed description of the curriculum and research programs that are being developed and implemented for modernizing efforts in one of these areas - electric power engineering. An overview is also 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. It is important to note that although the present manuscript focuses on electric power, the academic framework described herein is concurrently being implemented for the fields of nuclear and mining engineering and sustainability.