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Adam E. Anders (large image)
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| 2009 Grainger Power Engineering Scholarship and Fellowship Recipients |
Nine students were honored with Grainger Power Engineering Scholarship and Fellowship Awards at a banquet Tuesday, April 14, 2009. Grainger Power Engineering Scholarships and Fellowships are supported by a grant from the Grainger Foundation, Lake Forest, Illinois. The foundation, established in 1949 by Mr. and Mrs. William Wallace Grainger, has provided substantive support over the years to a broad range of organizations, including museums and educational, medical, and human services institutions. David W. Grainger, President of The Grainger Foundation, received his BS in electrical engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1950.
Adam E. Anders (large image) |
As a child, Adam Anders frequently took apart old electronics to see how they worked. These days, he has more up-to-date equipment to experiment with at the Wisconsin Electric Machines and Power Electronics Consortium, where he works as a graduate student in the electrical and computer engineering department.
Anders, who is originally from Germantown, Wisconsin, completed his bachelor’s degree in electrical and computer engineering in December 2008. He is a member and former treasurer of the electrical and computer engineering fraternity Kappa Eta Kappa.
He also has participated in the Tau Beta Pi and Eta Kappa Nu honor societies, as well as the UW-Madison chapter of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
“I am interested in power engineering because power electronics are becoming very important in so many applications,” he says. “I am especially interested in how power electronics can be used in hybrid vehicles.”
Anders’ interest in hybrid technologies stems from his experiences working on the UW-Madison hybrid vehicle team. He interned at Johnson Controls in the hybrid battery group during the summers of 2007 and 2008. Anders was involved in the manufacturing and electrical design of hybrid batteries, which gave him a good understanding of lithium-ion battery technology and hybrid battery systems in general.
He tinkers with electronics even in his spare time, though he also enjoys waterskiing, golf and “going up north.”
Zeb Breuckman (large image) |
As a nuclear engineer for the U.S. Department of Defense, Zeb Breuckman provides support for the nuclear reactors onboard naval ships at the Puget Sound Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington.
For Breuckman, improving things on a large scale is what originally drew him to engineering, and the chance to work on a broad variety of applications is what attracted him to power engineering.
Originally from Burlington, Wisconsin, Breuckman is an active outdoorsman and enjoys hunting, fishing, canoeing and running. As a student he joined the UW-Madison Triathlon Club, where he acted as secretary. He has completed an impressive seven triathlons, including Ironman Wisconsin. Breuckman also participated in intramural ice hockey.
While in college, he actively pursued engineering opportunities. In 2007, he interned at Madison’s Extreme Engineering, where he simulated and tested computer DC to DC converters. A year later, he interned at American Transmission Company, where he studied lightning arrestors and the effect of lightning strikes on transmission lines.
Breuckman graduated with a bachelor’s degree in electrical and computer engineering in December 2008 and headed to Washington to fulfill his dream of making a living by making things work better. “I have always enjoyed learning how things work and finding clever ways to solve problems,” he says.
Jeffrey Gobeli (large image) |
Jeffrey Gobeli credits his father, an electrical engineer, for sparking his interest in technology and engineering. Born in Germany, Gobeli spent most of his childhood in Racine, Wisconsin, before heading off to UW-Platteville to follow in his father’s footsteps. After a year, he transferred to UW-Madison for the opportunities offered by a big school in an urban area.
Gobeli was drawn to power engineering after taking ECE 412, Power Electronics. “I really enjoyed the class and it snowballed from there,” he says. “Power electronics made sense and I liked doing it.”
He worked at WE Energies in summer 2006 and helped customer service technicians develop new services for their residential and commercial customers. Two years later, in summer 2008, he worked for Patrick Energy Services as an electrical engineering intern. He has also participated in the UW-Madison chapter of Engineers Without Borders.
In May 2009, Gobeli will graduate with his bachelor’s degree in electrical and computer engineering. He will then move south of Naperville, Illinois, where he has accepted a position with Citgo to work on power distribution in its refinery. His past work experience helped Gobeli decide he was most interested in small-scale power transmission, and he is excited about his upcoming work with Citgo’s motor installations and other instrumentation projects. Once his career is underway, Gobeli also plans to pursue a graduate degree part time.
He has several hobbies, including snowboarding, paintball, scuba diving and swimming.
Marcus C. Hammonds (large image) |
When Marcus Hammonds entered the College of Engineering, he knew that ultimately he wanted to apply his degree to a career in patent law.
Hammonds was drawn to power engineering after winning an award from Exelon Energy, and when he graduated in December 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in electrical and computer engineering, Hammonds accepted a position as a patent examiner in communications at the United States Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria, Virginia.
“My background in power engineering is useful when working on cases that pertain to power generation, power distribution systems, and various other power engineering technologies,” says the Brown Deer, Wisconsin, native. “The background gives me an understanding to help clients with their improvements to power system technology.”
His work in government builds on his experiences as a student leader while at UW-Madison. Hammonds was a member of the National Society of Black Engineers and held multiple officer positions. He was also a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, serving as vice president and treasurer. He has remained a member of both organizations and plans to do so throughout his professional life.
In addition to his extracurricular activities, he worked as a co-op in spring 2007 with Kimberly-Clark Corporation.
He gained experience with a variety of projects as an electrical engineer in the baby and child care department.
Hammonds’ personal interests include playing and watching sports, and he also enjoys cooking and traveling.
Jonathan Lee (large image) |
After a childhood spent playing with Legos in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, engineering seemed like an obvious career choice for Jonathan Lee. He went on to study electrical and computer engineering at UW-Madison and after he graduates in May 2009, he plans to apply his bachelor’s degree to solving tough energy questions at the graduate level.
“How do you decrease emissions and increase generation capacity? How do you increase renewable energy generation? How do you build a smart grid? These are the questions I want to be faced with in my career,” he says, adding that engineering in general provides him with an opportunity to merge creativity and design with theory and practice.
Lee has worked as an electrical inspection intern with Renewable Energy Systems Americas, serving in fall 2007 and summer 2008 as an electrical manager at wind farms in Dayton and Mayville, Wisconsin.
His interest in sustainability also has taken him much farther afield—he traveled to Rwanda in July 2007 to implement a rainwater catchment system as part of the UW-Madison chapter of Engineers Without Borders.
He is vice president of the chapter and has worked on projects that have benefited communities in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Haiti, in addition to Rwanda.
Beyond engineering, Lee enjoys playing guitar and is an avid reader. He also spent a year as a member of the UW-Madison Understudies Improv Troupe, a theater group that produces interactive improvisational stage performances.
Andrew M. Redon (large image) |
Andrew Redon has two passions: music and problem solving. A fan of early rock ‘n roll and classic rock, Redon enjoys singing and playing the guitar. He also developed an aptitude for mathematics, which led him to physics and an introduction to circuit analysis. “I found that I really enjoyed the challenges of electronics,” he says. “Naturally this led me to electrical engineering.”
At UW-Madison, Redon was attracted to power engineering by topics such as electromechanical energy and motors. “I’m fascinated by the idea of electromechanical energy conversion working in both directions and the fact that electric machines can be used to convert kinetic energy to electrical energy and back,” he says.
After two years of studying electrical engineering, Redon took a break from the Wisconsin winters and pursued a degree in audio engineering at Full Sail University in Orlando, Florida. He also worked as a production intern at a recording studio before returning to Madison.
Redon will graduate with his bachelor’s in electrical and computer engineering in May 2009. He will then seek an electrical engineering internship, and he plans to eventually work permanently in Madison, his hometown. Redon ultimately hopes to blend his two interests professionally. “At UW-Madison, I learned the physical electronics of things like amplifiers and filters, so I have a really deep understanding of audio equipment and the overall technical side of music,” he says.
Robert K. Sandy (large image) |
Initially undecided about his career path, Robert Sandy took a chance on engineering because the field combined his love of electronics and gadgets and his interest in math and physics. To determine what area of engineering fit best, he accepted a co-op with Madison Gas & Electric in spring 2007 in the electric service engineering department. This experience helped him realize he enjoyed power systems engineering, and he took another internship with Affiliated Engineers to learn about designing and building HVAC, piping, plumbing, fire protection and lighting systems.
His background led to a job as an electrical engineer at Environmental Systems Design in Chicago, Illinois, after graduating with a BS in electrical and computer engineering in December 2008. He currently works as part of a team to design low-voltage power systems and infrastructure for large commercial projects. “What I really love about the power engineering I’m doing is the interconnectedness of mechanical and electrical systems,” Sandy says. “Architects design the exterior of the buildings, and we make them work.”
Out of the office, he enjoys connecting with the community. While in Madison, he was an active member of the student radio station WSUM, where he hosted a weekly radio show and coordinated the station’s annual music festival. He plays guitar and the djembe, a type of African hand drum.
Sandy also teaches golf and partners with Special Olympics Wisconsin to participate in tournaments. Sandy, who is originally from Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, has become close with many of the families involved with the Special Olympics. “I believe this will continue to be a lifelong service,” he says.
Brenton Smith (large image) |
As a high school junior, Brenton Smith toured the Microsoft facilities in Seattle, Washington, and spoke with a friend of his mother who was an engineer working on the Xbox. After returning home to Owatonna, Minnesota, Smith knew he was hooked on engineering.
Smith credits the electrical engineering faculty at UW-Madison for his interest in power engineering. “In every power engineering class that I’ve taken, each professor taught their class with passion and excitement, and I couldn’t help but find their energy to be contagious,” he says.
His classroom enthusiasm translated into a successful co-op at Hamilton Sundstrand, where he worked on a Boeing 787 communication bus and the Airbus A350 in spring 2007 and summer and fall 2008. His duties included running acceptance test protocols on generator control units and analyzing power quality performance reviews. He also updated and verified wiring configurations for power quality test equipment.
After Smith graduates with his bachelor’s degree in electrical and computer engineering in May 2009, he plans to spend a year with the Milwaukee Teaching Fellows program or the Lutheran Volunteer Corps. He is currently a member of the Lutheran Campus Center, where he is in charge of coordinating volunteer and social justice awareness events.
He anticipates returning to graduate school after working for one of the service programs, and he ultimately plans to work in green technologies via electric machines and power electronics or electric systems.
Adam M. Hughes (large image) |
Adam Hughes is guided by the wind. The UW-Madison Hoofers sailing instructor first learned about power engineering from a fellow Hoofer and engineering alumnus, who told him about the Wisconsin Electric Machines and Power Electronics Consortium. Hughes then got involved with WEMPEC through the Future Energy Challenge Competition and now works under Electrical and Computer Engineering Associate Professor Giri Venkataramanan as a wind energy project technician.
Hughes is helping to research the power output and aerodynamic performance characteristics of vertical-axis wind turbines. “We hope to find a balance between precise rotor efficiency and a bottom-line price-point to ensure the successful performance of a complete and reliable wind energy conversion system,” he says.
Before joining WEMPEC, Hughes was attracted to extracurricular activities focused on sustainable, affordable design. In addition to the Future Energy Challenge, he was a member of the Engineers Without Borders biodiesel production team and the Business Action for Sustainable Enterprise biodiesel advocacy team.
Hughes’ background in renewable energy includes a co-op for Cape Systems Limited in the Bahamas, where he designed and installed solar photovoltaic and wind power systems. He also worked for Madison Gas & Electric as a transmission and distribution co-op.
His hobbies include a variety of outdoor activities, such as rocking climbing, skiing and SCUBA. He is also interested in wilderness medicine and playing string instruments.
Hughes, a Madison native, will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in electrical and computer engineering in December 2009. He is exploring options for graduate school or employment in the wind energy industry.
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Copyright 2009 The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System Date last modified: 13-Apr-2009 Date created: 09-Apr-2009 Content by: skfinn@engr.wisc.edu Accessibility Web services |
