Head of White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Alondra Nelson Visits ACEP

Last week, ACEP welcomed the deputy assistant to the president of the United States and head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Alondra Nelson and her colleagues to the University of Alaska Fairbanks. 

Nelson traveled to Fairbanks to meet with climate scientists and policy experts as well as energy researchers. She hoped to learn about how our changing climate is affecting infrastructure, ecosystems and communities here in Alaska. More specifically, she wanted to interact with researchers whose work has a high level of community engagement when it comes to solving issues that northern communities are experiencing.

On Monday, Nelson came to ACEP’s office where she was welcomed to UAF by Chancellor Daniel White, followed by presentations from ACEP researchers, Erin Whitney, Mari Shirazi and Phylicia Cicilio. Nelson learned about micro-grid energy systems, food-energy-water nexus and renewable energy and storage integration research that ACEP is involved in. She also heard from Teaching Through Technology Alaska curriculum director, George Reising, who presented on ACEP’s involvement in giving rural Alaska students and teachers the resources needed to empower them to solve problems in their communities.

Nelson had the opportunity to tour ACEP’s Energy Technology Facility where she learned about the capabilities of the facility and the services it has to offer the energy research community from ETF manager, Dave Light.

“Alaska is a world leader in microgrid technology and innovation,” Nelson wrote in an Oct. 26, Twitter post. “At the Power Systems Integration Lab, we saw some of the tools enabling Arctic communities to usher in a new era of energy security, by integrating varied renewable and reliable energy sources.”

ACEP sincerely thanks Nelson and her colleagues for taking time to visit with us and learn about the emerging and innovative energy research that ACEP is developing for Alaska communities and beyond. 

 

(From left to right) T3 Alliance Alaska Curiculum director, George Reising, Arctic Energy Office interim director, George Roe, ACEP research professor, Mari Shirazi, ACEP research associate professor, Erin Whitney, deputy assistant and head of OSTP, Alondra Nelson, OSTP communications planning and public engagement lead, Nate Parsons, OSTP assistant director for polar sciences, Larry Hinzman, OSTP policy assistant, Haley Case-Scott and ACEP research assistant professor, Phylicia Cicilio pose for a picture at ACEP’s Fairbanks office. Photo by Jeff Fisher.