Intern to Help Remote Alaska Community Finalize Solar Installation

Jack McCaslin, a senior mechanical engineering student at the University of Alaska Anchorage, is a 2021 ACEP utility student intern.

This summer, he is working on the Hughes solar photovoltaic project with Dave Messier of Tanana Chiefs Conference. In this internship, McCaslin is most excited to have the opportunity to travel to Hughes to get his hands dirty, learn more about the local community and to see the project come to life.

He will work with the power plant operators to help them to understand more about the system, and he will work to create a visual interface that helps the operators learn how renewable solar energy is incorporated into the grid. 

McCaslin is passionate about Alaska and its people and has a desire to work towards sustainability in Alaska. He applied to the ACEP internship because he saw it as an opportunity to learn more about renewable energy in Alaska and to implement creativity and innovation. He enjoys critical analysis, engineering design, and community outreach and education. He is looking forward to this internship and the challenges ahead to overcome. 

When he is not working or going to school, McCaslin enjoys teaching Sunday school, digging snow caves, hiking, skiing, fishing and swimming in Alaska lakes. To learn more about McCaslin, you can visit his e-portfolio here: https://alaska.digication.com/jack-mccaslin. 

The ACEP Utility Student Internship program is funded by the Office of Naval Research. For more information on this program, please contact Heike Merkel at hmerkel@alaska.edu.

 

Jack McCaslin is an ACEP utility student intern working on a solar project in Hughes, Alaska. Photo courtesy of Jack McCaslin.