The USF chapter of the IEEE Power & Energy Society (PES) hosted its Power and Energy Forum on Feb. 3 at the Marshall Student Center Ballroom, bringing students together with industry professionals to explore career opportunities and advancements in the power and energy sector. View the photos from the event here.
Twelve companies participated, including Seminole Electric Cooperative, NextEra Energy, QTIB Engineers, Qualus, LineWorks Engineering, Sargent & Lundy, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Moss & Associates, Duke Energy, GE Vernova, Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative, and Quanta Technology. A total of 134 students registered, with 93 attending to network, hear presentations, and explore research opportunities.
Expert Insights and Industry Trends
The event featured several distinguished speakers, beginning with Professor Lingling Fan, Ph.D. who presented on behalf of herself, Professor Zhixin Miao, Ph.D., and Professor Rabi Kar, Ph.D. Professor Fan discussed industry trends, USF’s power track and labs, past IEEE PES activities, and alumni success stories.
Ratik Mittal, Ph.D, USF electrical engineering alumni, followed, sharing insights from his time as a Ph.D. student and instructor in USF’s Energy, Power, and Sustainability Track. He emphasized how his academic background prepared him for his current role at Quanta Technology.
Alex Lee, an electrical engineering senior and vice chair of the USF IEEE PES chapter, led company introductions, providing an overview of each company or inviting representatives to speak. Students then networked with industry professionals over lunch.
Michael Wright, PE, chief development officer at Qualus, delivered the keynote presentation, covering power systems from generation to distribution. He discussed industry career paths, salary expectations, and his journey from graduation to founding an engineering firm. His presentation sparked interactive discussions, with students eager to engage.
During the event, Alex Lee and Professor Fan presented the IEEE PES Scholarship Plus Initiative award to USF IEEE PES Chair Nicole Ouellette, recognizing her academic excellence and commitment to the power and energy industry.
Closing Remarks and Acknowledgments
The event concluded with additional networking and student research poster presentations. The USF IEEE PES chapter thanks event sponsors Seminole Electric Cooperative, NextEra Energy, QTIB Engineers, and Qualus, as well as Kayla Allemang of Seminole Electric Cooperative for her role in securing company participation.
With strong student engagement and industry collaboration, the Power and Energy Forum remains a key event for USF’s power engineering community, fostering connections and career opportunities for future professionals.