Mapping the way to communities – Galena Energy Infrastructure Mapping
August 24, 2023
Villafañe-Pagán during the Microgrid Boot Camp workshop at ACEP.
This article is part of a series highlighting ACEP’s 2023 cohort of eighteen undergraduate interns. To read about other projects and learn more about the program, please visit the ACEP Internship Program website.
ACEP summer intern Jobel Y. Villafañe-Pagán worked under ACEP’s ARCTIC Program Administrator Dayne Broderson on the Galena Energy Infrastructure Mapping project.
The project aims to develop an accurate geographic information system database and tools to help community members and researchers understand Galena’s environmental challenges such as seasonal floods caused by ice breakups.
Villafañe-Pagán’s work focused on summarizing the environmental challenges, including Galena’s energy infrastructure and energy planning for the community.
A recent graduate with a B.S. in geology, Villafañe-Pagán was surprised to find out that geologists can have many opportunities to work in the energy sector.
“But here I am! Working on this project with [Broderson] has been beneficial and fulfilling personally and professionally. I hope that this project can benefit every person in Galena,” Villafañe-Pagán said.
Villafañe-Pagán comes from the north-central mountains of Ciales, Puerto Rico, and earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus.
This internship project is made possible by Office of Naval Research funding. View the final presentation for this project on ACEP’s YouTube Channel. For more information on this project, please contact Dayne Broderson at dayne@alaska.edu.