Jun, 02
2022
Awards and Honors, Business, Environment and Ecology, Free News Articles, Green Business

Students Complete HBCU Green Fund’s Fellowship – Primed for Growing Opportunities in Clean Energy

ATLANTA, Ga. -- After successfully completing a rigorous fellowship that exposes students to opportunities in clean energy and sustainability, Serena Echols was awarded an internship assisting a community in Florida that was exposed to contaminated groundwater. One of twelve students selected by the HBCU Green Fund to participate in their inaugural Atlanta University Center (AUC) Fellows Program, Echols will document the experiences of the residents and seek resources for long overdue environmental justice.

A partnership between the HBCU Green Fund and the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs (RICE), the AUC Fellows Program connects students at Spelman College, Clark Atlanta University and Morehouse College with entrepreneurs and professionals that provided training, mentoring and internships in energy and STEM industries. A grant to RICE from the U.S. Department of Energy provides resources for the program.

"The inaugural AUC fellowship was a huge success," said Illai Kenney, national program director, HBCU Green Fund. "Whether you look at the increase in catastrophic climate events or the impacts of oil on the global economy, the critical need for a swift transition to clean energy is clear. This program will help expand the pipeline of skilled professionals required to achieve energy independence. We're proud that AUC Fellows are primed to train their peers, educate their communities, and capitalize on emerging green infrastructure opportunities."

The students were introduced to various energy careers and gained hands-on training in renewable energy technologies. They conducted energy audits of buildings in Atlanta, received instruction on electric vehicle charging stations, and learned to mount solar panels. The program emphasized information on starting an energy-related business and identifying business opportunities. The fellows also attended the annual BIPOC Climate Justice Dialogue, a discussion between climate justice scholars, organizers, academics, and government officials about opportunities in President Biden's Justice40 Initiative.

"It was very helpful to be able to question someone who works in sustainability daily and has created a profitable business in the area," adds Echols, an environmental science major headed into her senior year at Spelman College. "I am excited about the internship the HBCU Green Fund helped me secure at the University of South Florida where I will explore the cultural construction of risk in a peri-urban African American community whose groundwater was contaminated by chlorinated solvents from the former American Beryllium Corporation site."

The AUC Fellows were trained by successful Black entrepreneurs and executives who work in the energy sector; many of them are also HBCU graduates. Dr. Anthony Kinslow, CEO of Gemini Energy Solutions; Sheryl E. Ponds CEO of Dai Technologies; Gilbert Campbell, CEO of Volt Energy Utility LL; Kristal Hansley, CEO We Solar Energy; and the WDC Solar team provided instruction. AUC faculty mentors Dr. Armita Davarpanah and Dr. Fatemah Shafiei (Spelman College), Dr. Cynthia Hewitt (Morehouse College), Dr. Olu Olatidoye and Dr. Myron Williams (Clark Atlanta University), along with Spelman Facilities Director, Arthur E. Frazier.

The 2022 AUC fellows are:

Sophia Boyd (Spelman), Serena Echols (Spelman), Indrianna Bowleg (Spelman), Brionna Findley (Spelman), N'Dya Jeffries (Clark Atlanta), Conrad Mctavish (Morehouse), Jason Gill (Morehouse), Ihunanya Destiny Agomuoh, (Spelman), Noah Bacon-Angevine (Morehouse), and Andre Brown (Morehouse). Two additional fellows joined late in the semester: Jonathan Banks (Morehouse) and Kahlea Henry (Spelman).

About The HBCU Green Fund:

The HBCU Green Fund is a non-profit, nonpartisan organization working to advance campus-wide sustainability at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and promote student engagement in green initiatives. The organization produces the HBCU Green Report, a ranking of green initiatives on HBCU campuses.

For more information on the HBCU Green Fund and AUC Project check out video here: https://youtu.be/RVB2Iai1Bz0

Learn more: https://www.hbcugreenfund.org/ (*note: website maintenance 6/2/22; if unable to reach site, try back later).

Related link: https://hbcugreenfund.org/

This news story was published by the Neotrope® News Network - all rights reserved. ID:NEO2022

Feb, 11
2022
Alliances and Partnerships, Business, Education and Schools, Environment and Ecology, Free News Articles

RICE Grant Enables HBCU Green Fund to Expand STEM & Energy Training, Mentorship, and Internship Opportunities for Atlanta University Center Students

ATLANTA, Ga. -- The HBCU Green Fund recently announced a partnership with the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs (RICE) that increases their capacity to train, mentor and identify internships in energy and STEM industries for students at the Atlanta University Center (AUC). A Department of Energy grant to RICE provides resources for the AUC Energy Project, including a fellowship program exposing students from various majors to emerging opportunities in renewable energy and sustainability.

"We are pleased that the Russell Innovation Center supports a comprehensive program to expose HBCU students to careers in the energy sector, provide them with marketable skills, and introduce students to successful entrepreneurs and leaders working in STEM," said Illai Kenney, national program director, HBCU Green Fund. "Projects like this help to create a pipeline of minority thought leaders in climate and energy and ensure that HBCU graduates stand out in a highly competitive labor market. For instance, the Biden-Harris administration just announced plans to build a $5 billion network of electric vehicle chargers on interstate highways nationwide as part of their infrastructure bill, AUC Energy Fellows will be prepared for those jobs."

The AUC Energy Project offers training across the energy landscape, including wind, solar, energy efficiency and Electric Vehicle Charging Station entrepreneurial opportunities. After completing Energy Audit training, the fellows will contribute to an investment-grade audit on the campuses of Morehouse College, Spelman College, and Clark Atlanta University. Several AUC Energy Fellows will participate in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon, a collegiate competition where teams of students compete to design and build sustainable solar-powered house.

"Students at the Atlanta University Center have a unique advantage being located directly across the street from the Russell Center, the largest non-profit center in the country providing a space and resources for Black entrepreneurs and small business owners to innovate, grow, and create jobs," said Brittany Saadiq, director of development, RICE. "This program gives AUC students access to extraordinary talent and cutting-edge technology."

Thought leaders sharing career advice, mentoring, and business opportunities include HBCU graduates Dr. Anthony Kinslow, CEO of Gemini Energy Solutions; Sheryl E. Ponds Founder and CEO of Dai Technologies; and Gilbert Campbell, founder and CEO of Volt Energy Utility LL; along with AUC faculty mentors Dr. Armita Davarpa, Spelman College, Dr. Cynthia Hewitt, Morehouse College, Dr. Olu Olatidoye, Clark Atlanta University.

An HBCU Energy and STEM Internship registry is currently in development with several summer apprentice opportunities already identified. The 2022 AUC fellows are: Sophia Boyd (Spelman), Serena Echols (Spelman), Indrianna Bowleg (Spelman), Brionna Findley (Spelman), N'Dya Jeffries (Clark Atlanta), Conrad Mctavish (Morehouse), Jason Gill (Morehouse), Ihunanya Destiny Agomuoh, (Spelman), Noah Bacon-Angevine (Morehouse), and Andre Brown (Morehouse).

The HBCU Green Fund is a non-profit, nonpartisan organization working to advance campus-wide sustainability at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and promote student engagement in green initiatives. The organization produces the HBCU Green Report, a ranking of green initiatives on HBCU campuses. In April the organization co-host's the annual BIPOC Climate Justice Dialogue, an opportunity for climate justice scholars, organizers, and funders to discuss national climate goals and Justice40 priorities with government agencies.

For more information on the HBCU Green Fund and AUC Project visit https://hbcugreenfund.org/.

Related link: http://hbcugreenfund.org/

This news story was published by the Neotrope® News Network - all rights reserved.