New degree certificate added for engineering graduates
By Doug Ancey
Santa Clara University's School of Engineering is now offering a Renewable Energy Certificate for engineering graduate students. The certificate helps engineers in the semiconductor field prepare for one of the fastest growing sectors in world-alternative energy.
"The California Air Resources Board is pushing for 33 percent of their energy to come from renewable sources by the year 2020," explains Samiha Mourad, a professor of Electrical Engineering and advisor for the energy programs, "this in turn means that the field is growing, and more jobs will be readily available." The Obama administration has estimated that jobs in energy and environmental-related occupations will grow 52 percent from 2000 to 2016, versus 14 percent for other occupations.
Rhone Resch, President and CEO of SEIA, reports, "The solar industry added 17,000 new jobs coast to coast and residential installations grew from 78 megawatts in 2008 to 156 megawatts in 2009."According to Professor Mourad, the largest renewable energy sources are solar, wind, bio-fuels, and geothermal energy, and the Renewable Energy Certificate program will focus primarily on solar, wind, and bio-fuels, as those are the renewable sources that have had the most growth in California.
According to Godfrey Mungal, Dean of the School of Engineering, the program was motivated in part by Father Engh's commitment as stated in his inaugural address: "We are blessed by our location. As the Jesuit University of Silicon Valley, we can lead and participate in the Valley's fast-growing interest in sustainability, green energy, and environmental protection.
We can partner with institutions and corporations with the potential to solve the world's problems through invention and innovation of all kinds. The value-added element that Santa Clara can and should bring to this 'Green Wave' is the voice of environmental ethics, built on theological and philosophical foundations that are fundamental to our Catholic, Jesuit tradition. Santa Clara University is uniquely positioned to make a significant contribution to achieving a more just and sustainable future" "For the first time," says Mungal, "Santa Clara University is offering that opportunity to students with the help of our brilliant and talented faculty. In support of the spirit and the letter of the educational mission of SCU, we are integrating sustainability issues relevant to the study of energy into the curriculum for the Certificate. We envision sustainability as consisting of three main overlapping domains: social, environment and economics."
The program's mission is to provide a strong curriculum in engineering that will enable graduate students to be competent in design and maintenance of energy systems, as well as respecting our national resources. To accomplish this important mission, the faculty behind the program have formulated the following goals: "To produce graduates who understand the new trends in energy generation and distribution and can innovate in technology while promoting environmental sustainability, thereby meeting two of the greatest challenges of modern times; To educate professionals whose work will be guided by an understanding of, and sensitivity to, the social, political, ethical, and legal relationships between their work and those that it affects; To promote and foster teaching and research collaborations between Engineering, Business (Management, Economics and Finance) and Law."
"Since the 2007 Solar Decathlon contest, and following the 2009 contest," explains Mungal, "we have developed a renewed drive in energy activities. The Certificate is a continuation in that direction, and we plan to eventually offer a Masters Degree in Energy and Sustainability, which is now under active consideration by the Board of Trustees."
The certificate program consists of eight courses that can be taken in a calendar year. Plans are also in place to add a Master's degree in Sustainable Energy within the School of Engineering starting in the 2011-12 academic year.
Contact Doug Ancey at dancey@scu.edu or (408) 554-4546.