Meet A GEM Fellow: Jorge Torres Marchand

Please briefly explain your educational path or degrees earned or in progress.

I have a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the Colorado School of Mines (CSM) and am currently working on a master’s degree in advanced energy systems with the same institution.

What was the scope of your project during your fellowship?

During my fellowship, I helped the Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO) research topics such as offshore substations, load resources, heat maps for transmission, among others. I also helped the WETO team update the WETO websites to add new project content and archive completed projects for the knowledge of the public.  

How did you hear about the fellowship program? Why did you decide to apply?

I heard about the Graduate Education for Minorities (GEM) Fellowship from my master’s program director. I decided to apply since the fellowship was directed towards minorities in the US, which I am part of as a Hispanic.

What was your favorite part of the program? How do you think this will impact your career?

My favorite part of the program was being able to oversee many ongoing projects about wind energy technology and observe how these projects have a tremendous impact on the future of society and the infrastructure of the energy sector. This program helped me understand how US national laboratories and worldwide industries are working to improve energy demands in cleaner and more efficient ways.

I also added new resources to my list of clean energy resources, and I am confident that there will always be open-source information that will help me and other future engineers to gain knowledge. Whether I lead research and development (R&D) projects in the future, or just become part of a research team, the EERE public resources and the knowledge that I obtained from the fellowship will make a big impact in my career. 

What was it like working at the Department of Energy for your fellowship?

Working with the Department of Energy feels like a huge milestone in my career. When I obtained my first internship with a national laboratory, I never imagined I would be working with the people that supervise and oversee these research projects.

What new skills or experiences have you gained during the program?

I got the opportunity to participate in R&D project negotiations and supervisions which allowed me to increase my experience in project management and project supervision.

What advice would you give to someone who is considering applying to this program?

Be mentally prepared for a wave of knowledge. Since DOE manages many studies, projects, and negotiations in the US, there is a lot of information to review to understand concepts and decisions DOE makes for the benefit of society. It will feel like a lot is thrown at you in the first weeks, but try not to feel overwhelmed.

What are your plans after completing the program?

My GEM Fellowship is for two years, so I am excited to come back next summer and work with EERE again.