Conference: NAWEA/WindTech 2024 Graduate Student Symposium at Rutgers: Wind Energy Workforce Engagement and Training

This conference proposal requests support for a Graduate Student Symposium (GSS) linked with the North American Wind Energy Academy (NAWEA)/WindTech Conference, with the Symposium scheduled for October 29, 2024. The 2024 GSS, occurring one day prior to the NAWEA/WindTech Conference, serves as an educational forum tailored for graduate and undergraduate students interested in wind energy research and careers. Beyond providing a platform for academic exchange, it endeavors to tackle the pressing necessity of bolstering science communication competencies among students within this domain. This imperative arises from the prevailing societal skepticism, and various challenges encountered in the field of wind energy and broader climate change sciences. The theme of the 2024 GSS is Wind Energy Workforce Engagement and Training. It aims to provide an enriching and interactive platform for undergraduate and graduate students, helping them hone their communication and networking skills alongside other students and leaders in the fields of wind energy technology, research, and innovation. The inclusion of tutorials on science communication, facilitated by experts from the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science, will equip students with the necessary skills to effectively convey their research findings to diverse audiences. The GSS builds on, and complements various collaborative efforts (i.e., projects, conferences, and workshops) by the local partner organizations who have been working together since 2021 to ensure a successful transition to offshore wind energy for the State of New Jersey, with regional conferences held at Rutgers University and at Rowan University. The 2024 GSS will primarily serve as a regional event, offering students from institutions in New Jersey, southeastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and southern New York the opportunity to drive to and participate in this single-day event. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.