Power Engineering Education for the Next-Generation Smart Grid Workforce

该项目旨在通过加强电力工程教育来满足国家对高素质下一代智能电网劳动力的需求，从而为国家利益服务。作为国家最关键的基础设施之一，电网正在其物理结构、管理政策和业务运营方面经历一场根本性的革命，最终走向智能电网，成为国家经济、环境和未来的助力引擎。然而，由于合格的电力和能源工程师日益短缺，以及缺乏支持劳动力培训的综合教育体系，智能电网的实现受到了阻碍。本计划所建立的模式方法，将有助于为合资格的毕业生提供有效的电力工程教育。本计划旨在探索可行及可持续的方法，加强电力工程教育，以配合电力行业的需要。这一目标将通过一系列研究和开发活动来实现，这些活动将重新调整电气和计算机工程课程，并将为对智能电网工作感兴趣的学生创造一条途径。服务于智能电网任务的相关学科的最新进展将被调查，新的课程模块将被开发，不断更新，并整合到现有的项目课程中。此外，为了实现闭环，将建立一个多入口点的电力工程路径，为不同年级的学生提供明确定义的课程顺序。一个由电力和能源行业关键部门的合作者组成的咨询委员会将监督拟议的研究。所进行的研究和发展活动、所吸取的经验教训、所解决的挑战以及从该项目中产生的知识将通过多种渠道传播给对培养下一代智能电网工作人员有同样强烈兴趣的同行机构，以及面临类似教育挑战的其他学科的教育工作者。NSF IUSE: EHR计划支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生STEM教育的有效性。通过参与学生学习轨道，该计划支持有前途的实践和工具的创建，探索和实施。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project aims to serve the national interests by enhancing power engineering education to meet the nation’s needs for a highly qualified next-generation Smart Grid workforce. As one of the nation’s most critical infrastructures, the electric power grid is undergoing a fundamental revolution in its physical structure, management policy, and business operation, ultimately leading towards a Smart Grid ─ an enabling engine for the nation’s economy, environment, and future. However, achieving the Smart Grid mission is hampered by a growing shortage of qualified power and energy engineers, as well as the lack of a comprehensive education system to support workforce training. The model approach developed by this project will help provide effective power engineering education to qualified graduates.The objective of this project is to explore a viable and sustainable approach to enhance power engineering education to meet the needs of the power industry. This objective will be achieved via a suite of research and development activities which will retool the Electrical and Computer Engineering curricula, and will create a pathway for students interested in careers working on Smart Grids. Recent advances in relevant disciplines serving the Smart Grid mission will be investigated and new course modules will be developed, continuously updated, and integrated into existing program curricula. Furthermore, to close the loop, a multi-entry point pathway towards power engineering will be established which will offer students in different years of the program clearly defined course sequences. An advisory committee powered by collaborators from key sectors of the power and energy industry will oversee the proposed research. The research and development activities conducted, the lessons learned, the challenges addressed, and the knowledge generated from this project will be disseminated via multiple channels to peer institutions with similar strong interests in educating the next-generation Smart Grid workforce, as well as to educators of other disciplines facing similar education challenges. The NSF IUSE: EHR Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.