Name: Seungmin Lee; Institution: Florida State University; Program: Geothermal INTERN Program; Education Level: Graduate Student
October 15, 2024
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A new cohort of geothermal interns is stepping into this hot career field! The Geothermal INTERN opportunity, a collaboration between the Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO) and the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) INTERN program, supports a diverse community of graduate students forming the next generation of the growing geothermal workforce. Like the multi-faceted nature of geothermal energy, their work covers a kaleidoscope of research areas, with the potential to help expand geothermal around the world.
With support of the INTERN program, this diverse cohort of 24 students are working with a range of host institutions on geothermal projects, including private companies, state geological surveys, and national laboratories.
The numerous opportunities to engage in conversations with people from various fields allows for an inspiring exchange of ideas.
Florida State University’s Seungmin Lee is a doctoral candidate whose research specializes in applied and computational mathematics. Though mathematics may not be the first research field that comes to mind when thinking about geothermal energy, Lee noted that, “having a diverse academic background can be beneficial when studying geothermal. The numerous opportunities to engage in conversations with people from various fields allows for an inspiring exchange of ideas.”
In just its first two years, the Geothermal INTERN opportunity has extended the reach of geothermal energy by championing and equipping the future workforce. Through this opportunity and others like it, GTO is helping to build a new generation of scholars, scientists, and creative thinkers that will not only expand the geothermal workforce but also reflect the diverse world of clean energy.