YPiRE Forum

When: Thursday, April 18th, 6:30-8:00 PM

Where: Hyatt – Constellation Ballroom F – 2nd Floor

Moderator: Luke Witmer, Recipient of the John & Barbara Yellott Award 2013, completing Ph.D. in Solar Energy at Penn State

YPiRE is an exciting opportunity to grow recognition for new and emerging students and professionals, and to build stronger networks among people passionate about sustainability, energy, transdisciplinary projects, and service learning.

Panelists:

Thomas Krizner, Senior Mechanical Engineer, Enphase Energy

Thomas Krizner has a breadth and depth of mechanical engineering experience in commercial industry and research institutions. At Enphase Energy he leads the design and development team for new approaches to microinverter PCB environmental protection, focused on cost and long-term reliability. His career in advanced manufacturing also includes design and development of electromechanical systems for GE, Sauer-Danfoss, and Oregon Health and Science University.

Thomas chose to make the professional transition into the solar energy sector for its interesting challenges and the opportunity to contribute immediately to the reduction of negative environmental impact in energy production.

Thomas holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in mechanical engineering from Drexel University, Master of Arts degree in design from University of California at Berkeley and a Graduate Certificate in product development from Stanford University.

Alexander Kim, Hardware Engineer, Enphase Energy

Alexander Kim plays many roles at Enphase Energy that include EMI detection, unit failure analysis, PCB design, ASIC validation, development of next-generation microinverter technology, and contributing best practices to the SOP Committee. He has also been employed by General Motors and Crane Electronics.

Alex’s introduction to the renewable-energy industry was a bit serendipitous. While pursuing a career in power electronics, opportunities in the semiconductor, defense, automotive, and renewable-energy industries were all appealing. He chose the renewable industry since he believes in its cause and its potential for growth.

Alex holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in electrical engineering from Virginia Tech, where his team won the 2009 TI Analog Design Contest Engibous Prize. He also conducted research on switching loss of SiC devices for the Future Energy Electronics Center and acted as a TA for introductory electronics labs. He enjoys reading in his spare time.

Mike Seger, Project Engineer, Microgrid Solar

Mike Seger is currently a Project Engineer for fast growing St. Louis-based Microgrid Solar.  Prior to joining Microgrid Solar, Mike spent five years working in the marketing and advertising industry specializing in brand awareness and digital signage.  However, his passion for engineering and renewable energy prompted him to go back to school and complete a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Missouri – St. Louis.  Mike brings a unique blend of power engineering, marketing, and project management to Microgrid Solar and has been a part of the design or installation of over 1MW of solar in the past year.  In addition, he also focuses on delivering an educational component to his customers through the design of informational kiosks that help keep the public informed on the benefits of renewable energy.  Mike can be reached at mseger@microgridenergy.com for follow up contact.

Edward Davis, Senior Analyst- Project Finance, First Solar, Inc.

Edward Davis is a Senior Analyst on the Project Finance team at First Solar. He specializes in merger & acquisition transactions to raise debt and equity financing for utility-scale solar power plants. Responsibilities include running valuation analyses of projects under development, conducting negotiations with investors, developing presentations for public market reporting and supporting corporate expansion efforts into new global markets.

Prior to joining First Solar in 2011, Edward spent three years at J.P. Morgan working on syndicated leveraged finance and high yield debt transactions for mid-cap oil and gas clients. He chose to transition to the renewable energy sector in order to participate in the deployment of disruptive technologies with the potential to alter the energy and geopolitical landscapes.

Edward graduated magna cum laude from Colby College in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. During college, he held internships with the office Senator Ken Salazar in Colorado and Washington, D.C., as well as with the Sr. Advisor on Climate Change and Energy to Governor Bill Ritter of Colorado. When away from the office, his interests include skiing and traveling.

Mikhail A Naumov, Founder/Director, Global Renewable Energy Education Network

Mikhail co-founded the Global Renewable Energy Education Network (GREEN) as a Junior at Rutgers University with two classmates and an engineering visionary from Costa Rica. Discontented with traditional career opportunities available to graduates, Mikhail and his partners built an experiential education company, empowering the next generation of young leaders to break into and transform the clean energy industry.

Identifying a growing gap between traditional textbook learning and industry experience, The GREEN Programs take students and young professionals out of the traditional classroom environment and bring them to epicenters of renewable energy, like Costa Rica and Iceland, to interact with technology, learn from industry experts, and collaborate to create cross-disciplinary innovations to advance the industry.

Each year, hundreds of students from 140+ different universities and over 30 countries attend the GREEN Programs, becoming informed, engaged and inspired to pursue meaningful careers in this cutting edge industry.

As a social entrepreneur, Mikhail has served as U.S. Delegate to the G20 Young Entrepreneurs Summit, the Global Entrepreneurship Congress, and the Open Innovations Forum. The GREEN Program has been recognized as one of the top student-founded social ventures in the world by the New York Stock Exchange and the Entrepreneurs’ Organization.

Ariel Braude, Community Manager, American Solar Energy Society

Ariel joined ASES in June 2012. Her role includes creating and curating content on the ASES website, sharing the message of solar through social media, and managing the Solar Tour.  Ariel also facilitates ASES’ internal community on The Grid, serves as the Webmaster of the ASES website, and assists in fundraising and marketing efforts.   A recent grad of the University of Colorado-Boulder with a degree in Environmental Studies and Geology, Ariel is passionate about renewable energy and sustainability.  She is originally from Chicago and currently resides in Boulder.

Prior to joining ASES, Ariel worked for ASES’ local Colorado Chapter, the Colorado Renewable Energy Society. There she assisted the Executive Director in database management, marketing, conference management, Solar Tour outreach, and program administration.