Ali Akhtar One of 11 WPI Students Awarded IEEE Power and Energy Society Scholarship

2012 Nov 26

Ali Akhtar of Lehore, Pakistan, is one of 11 undergraduates majoring in electrical and computer engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute to have been awarded a Power and Energy Systems (PES) Scholarship by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

Now in its second year, the PES program awarded 228 scholarships this year to students at 100 American universities. The scholarships were distributed through the IEEE Power and Energy Society Scholarship Fund, which is used to support the IEEE PES Scholarship Plus Initiative.

"Executives across the power and energy industries share a concern for the pipeline of talent entering the power engineering workforce, especially as more and more of the Baby Boomers who built today's power system to its present strength prepare to retire," said Wanda Reder, vice president for power systems services at S&C Electric Company in Chicago and co-chair of the scholarship program. "The IEEE PES Scholarship Plus Initiative is one way we are helping support the next generation of power leaders. These are exceptional young men and women who are excited about power and the opportunities in the field."

S&C Foundation, which is affiliated with S&C Electric, and Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories have each contributed $1 million to the scholarship fund. Other prominent supporters include National Grid, the Grainger Foundation, Alstom, Doble Engineering, Powell Industries, Cooper Power Systems, Southern California Edison, ISO New England, Autodesk, PSE&G, Ulteig, Westinghouse, MidAmerican Energy Foundation, NSTAR, PJM Interconnection, and the GE Foundation.

"We are delighted that IEEE selected 11 of our electrical and computer engineering students for this prestigious honor," said Selcuk Guceri, Bernard M. Gordon Dean of Engineering at WPI. "With our rigorous, project-based education and support from the PES program, these future innovators will be well prepared to help solve the challenges of developing viable and economical sources of alternative energy, creating next-generation smart grid technology, and building a robust and reliable electric generation and distribution network for the future."

About Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Founded in 1865 in Worcester, Mass., WPI was one of the nation's first engineering and technology universities. Its 14 academic departments offer more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science, engineering, technology, business, the social sciences, and the humanities and arts, leading to bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees. WPI's talented faculty work with students on interdisciplinary research that seeks solutions to important and socially relevant problems in fields as diverse as the life sciences and bioengineering, energy, information security, materials processing, and robotics. Students also have the opportunity to make a difference to communities and organizations around the world through the university's innovative Global Perspective Program. There are more than 30 WPI project centers throughout North America and Central America, Africa, Australia, Asia, and Europe.