MARCY — A project led by SUNY Polytechnic Institute has received state funding to advance offshore-wind efforts by offering programs on campus. SUNY Poly’s Dr. Zhanjie Li, a professor of civil engineering, and Dr. Iulian Gherasoiu, a professor of electrical-engineering technology, were included in the second round of Offshore Wind Training Institute (OWTI) grants awarded […]
MARCY — A project led by SUNY Polytechnic Institute has received state funding to advance offshore-wind efforts by offering programs on campus. SUNY Poly’s Dr. Zhanjie Li, a professor of civil engineering, and Dr. Iulian Gherasoiu, a professor of electrical-engineering technology, were included in the second round of Offshore Wind Training Institute (OWTI) grants awarded for workforce development, according to a university news release. In total, nearly $4 million in funding was awarded to support 12 programs at eight SUNY campus-led programs. “We are grateful for these investments in SUNY Poly, and I commend Zhanjie and Ilulian for their continued efforts in offshore wind, the advancement of which is a clear priority in New York state,” Michael Carpenter, SUNY Poly interim dean of the College of Engineering and associate provost for research, said in the release. “These projects will be critical in educating the future generation of engineers entering this booming industry, as well as creating a clear and fast-tracked pathway for students and professionals to successfully enter the offshore wind workforce.” A project led by Li will receive about $298,000 to develop a strong workforce-training program to boost the number of engineers, scientists, and engineering technicians with the skills needed to contribute to the current offshore-wind industry and help foster its growth. SUNY Poly Department of Engineering Technology Chair Andrew Wolfe and Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Aarthi Sekaran are co-principal investigators of this effort. Li received a $400,000 OWTI grant last spring that helped establish the SUNY Poly Offshore Wind Training Team and develop a plan to enhance workforce training in the design, construction, and manufacture of offshore wind. With the new funding, Li proposed additional areas and training opportunities, such as workshops, as a complementary effort. Gherasoiu received $86,525 for his part in a collaborative project with University at Albany Professor of Nanoscale Science and Engineering Haralabos Efstathiadis. The two professors are developing three new courses as part of an offshore wind micro-credential program available to students at both campuses.
The courses at SUNY Poly enhance the renewable-energy curriculum, coordinated by Gherasoiu, and are offered in collaboration with the University at Albany’s College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering, which includes courses on the fundamentals of photovoltaic energy, an introduction to electrical-energy storage, and an introduction to fuel-cell nanotechnology.