| "Well, I hope it is just a beginning of success. RES definitely helped me to get to the point where I am now. I am sure my life would look different if one day I would
not checked short message about studies in Iceland. Anyway, a lot happened during this 13 months and I guess anyone who had this episode in his life will have his own success story. I was kind of
lucky with my job I guess, but without RES it could not happen. I work now in one of the biggest construction company in Poland in the Research & Development Department – in fact the only one in Poland in this business. Just now we start European Union’s 7th Framework Programme (FP7) project called FUEL CELL-DISTRICT (FC-DISTRICT) in which my company is the main coordinator. Fuel cells at district level have never been tested on such a scale. It will happen soon in couple of places in Europe and main demonstration is planned in Warsaw. I have a great satisfaction of being one of the experts in fuel cells community and coordinating this project at the same time. I think one day you will hear what happened in Warsaw and you will be positively surprised." February 2010 |
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| Mr Tomasz Sasin (Poland) 2009 Graduate Student on Fuel Cell Systems & Hydrogen Concentration |
| "When I was asked to write this success story, I almost didn’t know where to start in terms of the opportunities, education, and personal and profession
network that RES has provided. The success of RES comes from the program, the directors and staff, the world-renowned professors, and the diversity of the international grad students. Each element helped to position me for various opportunities. Since March I’ve been fortunate enough to work for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado. There I was able to apply my geothermal knowledge to help develop a landscape analysis for the laboratory. That work helped to demonstrate the depth and breadth of my education at RES and I was offered a position as a Senior Geothermal Analyst at the end of 2009. Currently, I’m split my time between Geothermal Heat Pump development at the lab with Department of Energy (DOE) Showcase projects to Geothermal resource evaluation and Power Plant design. The ability for me to be engaged in multiple areas of geothermal energy technologies is a tribute to RES and the wonderful education." |
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Ms. Erin Rebecca Anderson (USA) 2009 Graduate Student on Geothermal Energy Concentration |
| "Has The School of Renewable Energy Science helped me with my current career? In one hundred percent answer is YES! RES allowed me to be educated in the field of
renewable energy, which in Poland is still behind compared to Western Europe countries and United States. School enabled me to acquire knowledge from the real experts in this field, professors from
recognizable names around the world, and many great practitioners with years of experience in the field of renewable energy. After gaining a master's degree in specialization in biofuels and
bioenergy I started a doctorate in the field of Life Cycle Assessment of energy crops at the University of Warmia - Mazury in Olsztyn, Poland. At the same time I work at COACH BioEnergyproject "Strengthening the energetic use of biomass in Central and Eastern Europe to Establishing a standardized transnational consulting net for the region." This is a European project funded by the Central Europe programme which aims at promoting the sustainable use of biomass in the Central European Region. 18 different organisations from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Germany and Austria – supported by two Ukrainian institutions – work together during the 36-month-project to develop and gather the most recent research results concerning the environmental, economic and social aspects of biomass utilisation. In March 2010, we are going to start another project funded by the EU 7th Framework Program, which UWM is a partner. EuroBioRef project "An Integrated Biorefineries European Network” aims to create a modern, using multi-feedstock (non-edible vegetable oils such as safflower, lignocellulosic crops such as willow and miscanthus) bio-refinery producing in multi-processes (chemical, termochemical, biochemical), multi-products (aviation fuel, chemicals, fuel components) in the non-waste technologies. In my opinion, my achievements could convince everyone that this what The School of Renewable Energy Science offered to me is worth to devote one year to study at the other end of the world!" |
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Mr. Michał Krzyżaniak (Poland) 2009 Graduate Student on Biofuels & Bioenergy Concentration |
| "In the beginning of April this year, I will start a six month internship at Toyota Motor Europein Brussels, Belgium. This opportunity came to me by an email sent by Sigrún to all RES students stating they (Toyota) were looking for a student in the area of
mechanical or chemical engineering with some background in renewable energy. I applied and since I had the characteristics they were looking for, I was chosen. The internship is basically about the assessment of the future fuel mixture for the transportation sector. This fuel mixture is dependent on many factors like energy security, global warming, environmental issues and so on. I will be responsible for the analysis of the energy chain (primary energies, secondary energies, energy demands on different sectors) on a global or just European scale to help clarify what energy source(s) will best fit the transportation sector in the future. I will collect data from many sources and calculate the energy mix based on existing energy analyses models. Included in the internship is also a training on a current energy modeling software to help me create these models. I’m looking forward to this opportunity since I’ve always wanted to work in the automotive industry even though it makes me sad to leave home again. Hopefully, next September, I’ll have another nice story to tell. Until then, see you around." |
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Mr. Pedro Miguel Costa Almeida (Portugal) 2009 Graduate Student on Fuel Cell Systems & Hydrogen Concentration
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| "Life after RES, studying at RES was an amazing experience, but one day has come, that I had to use the knowledge which I have gained, during the hard-working 13
months, in practice. The first task, which I have to face in my career is related with education. Namely, I teach at the Environmental Engineering Faculty at the Warsaw University of Technology, subject named: Alternative Energy Sources. I have 4 groups of students, in total around 60 people, whom I teach how to calculate the energy potential for wind turbines and how to solve solar energy problems. Form May 2009 I move to Leipzig, Germany, where as a laureate of the Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt DBU scholarship I will be working in the German Biomass Energy Centre on various projects f.i. biofuel situation in Poland and Eastern Europe and integration of biofuel supply pathways of Eastern Europe into the "decision support tool". During my stay in Germany, I will take part in various conferences and workshops regarding different renewable energy source and their appliance in sustainable developing economy. Additionally, I plan to continue my education in Ph.D. studies at my home university and develop my skills in the green energy area, focusing more on energy systems, policy and management." |
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Ms. Katarzyna Sobotka (Poland) 2009 Graduate Student on Fuel Cell Systems & Hydrogen Concentration
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| "A new challenge, after returning from Iceland and a short time off I will start working in May 2009 as the head of the geothermal and
hydrogeology laboratory, also called HydroThermikum, at the Institute of Applied Geosciences at the Technical University of
Darmstadtin Germany. This job is connected with some administration work related to the planned extension of the lab, but it will also give me the opportunity to do some own research and
hopefully will lead to a successful completion of my Ph.D.. A bit of teaching, giving short courses in the lab and supervising student’s bachelor and master theses will also be part of
this job. I really look forward to continue working in the fields of geothermal energy and gaining some new experiences and skills by working in that top research facility." |
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| Mr. Sebastian Homuth (Germany) 2009 Graduate Student on Geothermal Energy Concentration |
