Women of Wind Energy (WoWE) has selected six 2016 Rudd Mayer Memorial Fellows and five 2016 Wind at Our Backs Scholars and plans to recognize them at the group’s annual luncheon on Wednesday May 25 during the WINDPOWER 2016 Conference and Exhibition in New Orleans.
Meet the 2016 Rudd Mayer Fellows:
- Amanda Bradshaw, Columbia University
- April Christensen, Duke University
- Mercedes Gomez Jacobo, Southern Illinois University Carbondale
- Cecilia Lee, University of Michigan
- Rachel Mead, Western Illinois University
- Pauline Searles, Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College
2016 Wind at Our Backs Scholars:
- Rachel Bedenbaugh, Colorado State University
- Jordan Blackwood, Cloud County Community College
- Jessica DeWaters, Kalamazoo Valley Community College
- Stacie Thompson, Clinton Community College
- Casey West, Mesalands Community College
“The women receiving this year’s awards are already making a positive impact in the renewable energy field,” said WoWE Executive Director, Kristen Graf. “The new Wind at Our Backs Scholarship is allowing us to bring more women to this important annual event and help jumpstart their careers in the field. Both the Fellows and the Scholars continue to build on the legacy of Rudd Mayer with their passion, desire to pursue an education, and potential to make important contributions in the future. I look forward to seeing their careers grow in the years to come.”
“Women are helping to write the next chapter of American wind power,” said Tom Kiernan, CEO of AWEA. “These fellows and scholars directly help fulfill on this year’s WINDPOWER theme of ‘Generation Wind’. As wind energy scales up to supply 20 percent of U.S. electricity by 2030, a strong, diverse industry is needed to help us get there. These programs and scholarship opportunities are going to help make sure that happens.”
“The wind industry expects to see tremendous growth and job creation over the next few years,” said John Kostyack, Executive Director of the Wind Energy Foundation. “The fellowship and scholarship help ensure that bright young women, like those in our current class, will be well positioned to make major contributions to our industry in the near future.”
About the Rudd Mayer Fellowship:
The Rudd Mayer Fellowship is WoWE’s way of supporting women in the academic community, college students and recent graduates, who are interested in expanding their knowledge and engaging in the renewable energy field by attending the WINDPOWER Conference & Exhibition. This annual fellowship is awarded on a competitive basis and selection is based on commitment to renewable energy development, academic achievement, potential for future contributions to the U.S. renewable energy community, and financial need.
The fellowship honors wind industry pioneer Rudd Mayer of Boulder, Colorado, who passed away in 2002, and supports women to participate in WINDPOWER by allowing the fellows to attend seminars on current wind energy issues, view state-of-the-art technology, meet women and men in the renewable energy field, and connect with employers about potential internships or permanent positions.
The Wind Energy Foundation, in concert with the American Wind Energy Association and Women of Wind Energy, is pleased to announce a new scholarship to empower women working toward degrees or certifications in the wind industry.
The scholarship – conceived by NextEra Energy, and sponsored by Blattner Energy, GE Renewable Energy, the NextEra Energy Foundation, and Suzlon – will allow the Wind Energy Foundation to offer $2,500 scholarships to as many as fifteen individuals over the next three years! Scholarship recipients will also receive a trip to WINDPOWER, the industry’s premier trade show and educational event, where they can attend seminars on current wind energy issues, view state-of-the-art technology, meet others in the renewable energy field, and connect with potential employers.
WoWE was founded in 2005 and works to promote the education, professional development, and advancement of women to achieve a strong diversified workforce and support a robust renewable energy economy. Since that time, WoWE has grown to an organization with local chapters in the US and Canada; national programming that includes the annual luncheon, leadership forum, and webinar series; and a growing grassroots network of more than 3,000 women and men. The organization is supported through hundreds of volunteer hours and the generous contributions of individuals as well as corporate partners including the American Wind Energy Association, DNV GL, GE Energy and a large number of other leading renewable energy companies.
AWEA is the national trade association of the U.S. wind energy industry, with 1,000 member companies, including global leaders in wind power and energy development, wind turbine manufacturing, component and service suppliers, and the western hemisphere’s largest wind power trade show, the AWEA WINDPOWER Conference & Exhibition, which takes place next in New Orleans, LA, May 23-26, 2016. AWEA is the voice of wind energy in the U.S., promoting renewable energy to power a cleaner, stronger America. Look up information on wind energy at the AWEA website. Find insight on industry issues at AWEA’s blog Into the Wind. Join AWEA on Facebook. Follow AWEA on Twitter.
The Wind Energy Foundation (WEF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to raising public awareness of wind as a clean, domestic energy source through communication, research and education. WEF’s campaigns and programs are aimed at educating decision makers, the media and the general public about the economic and environmental benefits of wind energy and need for policy action to secure these benefits. We recruit, train and mobilize leaders from the wind industry, other renewable energy sectors, and the broader community of supporters to deliver personalized messages about how renewable energy is helping to improve our economy and environment.
