Binghamton University students and faculty gathered in the University Union this past Friday to discuss the current clean energy landscape.

The clean energy landscape event was hosted as a joint initiative between Harpur Edge, an organization that promotes professional and intellectual development among students at the Harpur College of Arts and Sciences, and the Watson Career and Alumni Connections (WCAC) office. The event was led by guest speaker and alumnus Luke Wentlent, Ph.D. ‘15, who received his master’s degree in mechanical engineering and his Ph.D. in materials science from BU. Wentlent discussed the importance of the storage of renewable energy and how students can get involved, concluding with a Q&A session with attendees.

Wentlent currently works as a principal research and development engineer at Plug Power, a manufacturing company that focuses on developing hydrogen fuel cell systems to store renewable energy. During his presentation, Wentlent explained how the sporadic nature of energy sources makes renewable energy storage a necessity.

“We need to store [renewable energy] because everything on the planet is intermittent,” Wentlent said. “The sun doesn’t shine all the time, the wind doesn’t blow all the time and hydropower is limited in terms of being able to deploy it. And when you start thinking about careers and opportunities and things you can do, all of these energy industries require virtually every physical science and stem background to be used in some capacity.”

Kimberly Eiche, director of the WCAC, expressed her belief that the event opened students up to a growing field.

“The WCAC is always looking to expand partnerships with companies in a variety of industries, and clean energy is becoming a primary focus for many students and local industries here,” Eiche wrote in an email. “Companies in this realm are actively recruiting our students for jobs and internships including BAE Systems, Constellation, Plug Power, Avangrid Renewables and many others.”

Some students attended to get a head start on job recruitment through attending Wentlent’s speaker event.

Harpreet Singh, a senior majoring in chemistry, said attending Wentlent’s talk helped him evaluate potential career opportunities that he could apply for once he graduates.

“The biggest thing I learned from this lecture is that the job dynamics in the field of science and engineering are shifting a lot, and have been moving toward ways of efficiently utilizing renewable resources for the benefit of the environment,” Singh said. “So I just came here to think about ways I can get involved in this field, as there are many paths I can consider based on my background.”

Other students attended the event to attain a basic understanding of the current energy landscape, and the research that Wentlent has conducted at Plug Power.

Mason Day, a junior majoring in biology, said Wentlent’s discussion helped him develop more of an interest in the different fields concerning clean energy usage.

“It was nice to become more familiar with what is currently going on in other fields of science that I do not study on a regular basis,” Day said. “I never realized just how interconnected different disciplines of STEM can be, so it is good knowing there are opportunities here that match some of my skill sets.”

During his guest lecture, Wentlent emphasized the importance of students participating in work beyond studying for their bachelor’s degree, in order to have the best chance for success after graduation.

“Always remember to constantly be out there seeking jobs, internships, conducting research and taking leadership roles that showcase your technical skills and experiences,” Wentlent said. “Energy is a great place to be in right now, we have professionals working with us at Plug Power from so many different educational backgrounds, who all acquired the skills needed to work here through other opportunities.”