January 23, 2024
Accelerating the adoption of a clean energy future requires scholars who have both deep disciplinary expertise and a worldview and skill set that are broader than is typically provided by traditional graduate degrees. To meet this need, the University of Washington’s Clean Energy Institute (UW CEI) is delighted to announce the establishment of the Graduate Certificate in Clean Energy Science, Engineering, and Society — open to all UW graduate students.
The Graduate Certificate in Clean Energy is designed to provide an interdisciplinary understanding of challenges and opportunities facing clean energy and its adoption in society, from crosscutting interdisciplinary discovery and innovation to technology transfer and public policy. To that end, the Certificate incorporates existing courses from multiple departments as well as new courses that enable students to practice engaging with the broader impacts of the clean energy transition. Students receive hands-on training in foundational concepts such as energy materials, devices, and systems (EMDS), infusing them with the knowledge of how innovations from molecules and software to miles of grid systems impact our energy and climate systems. They also gain experience communicating across scientific disciplines in order to advance equitable clean energy solutions in energy generation, storage, grid systems and strengthen their performance in environments both inside and outside the lab.
Energy Materials, Devices, and Systems Lab Course — Projects and Techniques
> Nanoparticle synthesis and characterization (CdSe quantum dots)
> Solar photochemistry – hydrogen fuel production
> Batteries – fabrication and testing of Li-ion coin cell with carbon electrodes
> Photovoltaics – third generation solar cell fabrication and characterization (organic-PVs and perovskites)
> Grid simulation
“Formalizing and weaving together our graduate education programs with the launch of the Graduate Certificate represents a major milestone for CEI,” said David Ginger, CEI’s chief scientist and the B. Seymour Rabinovitch Endowed Chair in Chemistry at the UW. “Since CEI was established ten years ago, dynamic programs like the CEI Graduate Fellowship, the EMDS course, and the Torrance Advanced Experience Program have supplemented the deep knowledge obtained through a departmental Ph.D. education. And now, students are able to receive transcriptable credit for each of these activities — and more! I’m grateful to CEI faculty and staff for developing this curriculum, and to our partners across the state in industry, K-12 education, non-profits, policy, and entrepreneurship, for enabling these opportunities for UW students to explore a range of careers in climate and energy.”
To obtain the Graduate Certificate in Clean Energy, students must attend the CEI Interdisciplinary Seminar Series, study advanced topics in clean energy science and technology, and complete coursework and a capstone project in one of the following tracks related to the broader impacts of clean energy:
- entrepreneurship
- public policy
- public outreach
- science communication
CEI Education & Training Fellows and Clean Energy Ambassadors have reached 9,300 K-12 students across Washington state since 2013.
To learn more and apply for the Graduate Certificate in Clean Energy Science, Engineering, and Society, visit this webpage or contact CEIapps@uw.edu.
