EaSE students Celebrate Earth Day

Students from the college’s new Energy and Sustainability Engineering (EaSE) Graduate Option will officially celebrate its debut on campus on Earth Day, April 22, from 4:00-5:00 p.m. at Engineering Hall.

“This gathering brings together faculty and staff from across the campus who have contributed their ideas and expertise to propel the EaSE program from concept to reality,” explained John Abelson, a professor of materials science and engineering and co-director of the Energy and Sustainability Engineering initiative.” The first cohort of EaSE students will be introduced at the informal celebration on the outdoor patio on the north side of Engineering Hall (or Room 301 inside if it is a bad day for solar energy).

In January, the College of Engineering began offering the Graduate Option Program in EaSE, designed to provide the components of breadth and depth for students who are enrolled in a departmental masters or PhD program, where they build a core competence in a discipline.

Energy engineering refers to the development of technologies for energy harvesting, conversion, transmission and use that are highly efficient and sustainable in future generations. Sustainability engineering refers to the development of technologies that provide the necessities for civil society and the infrastructure for commerce in efficient and renewable ways that minimize adverse impact on the earth system.

“The EaSE initiative is a significant step in breaking down barriers to interdisciplinary work on the challenge of transitioning to a sustainable energy future," remarked Clifford Singer, a professor of nuclear, radiological, and plasma engineering and co-director of the new graduate option. The topics of energy and sustainability are highly interrelated; a leading example is bioenergy, which has major implications concerning land, water, atmosphere, and sustainability.

The EaSE has four goals:
•    To promote interdisciplinary research that joins the fields of science, engineering, environment and policy.
•    To provide education and training for the global workforce.
•    To engage industrial partners in the research and educational missions of the university.
•    To link efforts within the College to complementary programs on campus.

Participation in EaSE will not delay a student’s progress towards the degree or add to the total course load. The option is based on courses that are currently offered by the College of Engineering and by other schools at Illinois. EaSE is currently accepting applications for the Fall 2010 semester. For additional information about the EaSE graduate option, visit: http://ease.illinois.edu.
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Contact: John Abelson, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, 217/333-7258.

Jodi Gritten-Dorsett, CSE / EaSE Office, 217/333-3247.

If you have any questions about the College of Engineering, or other story ideas, contact Rick Kubetz, Engineering Communications Office, 217/244-7716, writer/editor.