The Wind Hub at UNO and the University of New Orleans have announced the second cohort of the Wind Scholars Program in Engineering. The students are all enrolled in the Dr. Robert A. Savoie College of Engineering. They are: Otis Taylor (junior, civil engineering), Issac Varghese (junior, naval architecture & marine engineering), Elizabeth Rupright (senior, electrical engineering), Daniel Nagel (senior, naval architecture & marine engineering), and Aviral Kandel (graduate, electrical engineering).

In response to the growing demand for engineers in the clean energy sector, the Wind Scholars Program offers students a customized curriculum designed to prepare them for careers in the wind energy sector. Each Wind Scholar receives a $5,000 scholarship from The Beach at UNO to support their coursework, along with the opportunity to participate in paid internships provided by leading industry companies.

“I look forward to being involved in the growing interests at UNO in offshore wind energy, and I believe that this scholarship could put me in a better position to achieve my future goals,” Rupright said.

According to the Department of Energy, the U.S. boasts the third-largest offshore wind market capacity globally, with plans to significantly expand new energy production by installing wind farms in the Gulf of Mexico.

“This program has the potential to be a foundational blueprint for how academia and industry collaborate, preparing students for emerging fields,” said Rebecca Conwell, president and CEO of The Beach at UNO.

Launched in August 2022, the Wind Hub at UNO is at the forefront of the new energy transformation, The Wind Scholars Program exemplifies the powerful synergy between academic learning and practical experience, contributing to the advancement of wind energy research, education and innovation, Conwell said.