The Hydro Research Foundation has selected four students for its 2016 class of researchers.
The new student researchers, and their areas of focus, are:
- Claire Beveridge – University of Washington, Improved Hydrologic and Sedimentation Modeling for Hydropower Systems: A Case Study on the Elwha River Dams
- Philip Ebben – Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Renewable Energy Pairing for Sustained Grid Stability
- Elliott Jackson – Oregon State University, A Cost Benefit Analysis and Hardware Validation of Synchronous and Variable Speed Hydropower Systems for New Stream Reach Projects
- Bianca Viggiano – Portland State University, Assessing and Controlling Instabilities in a Two-Phase Vortex Column via Proper Orthogonal Decomposition
These one-year awards are intended to allow the students to conduct focused research related to conventional and pumped-storage hydropower, as well as to attract student researchers to careers in hydro, HRF says.
Each award includes a living stipend; a tuition, fees and university-provided health insurance allowance; travel costs to attend the Annual Hydro Fellows Roundtable; and an award into a university’s discretionary account for the student’s academic advisor for the research.
The awards are made possible by a grant from the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy program of the U.S. Department of Energy, as well as industry partners.
In addition, a new board of directors and advisory board have been announced.
Executives are:
- Chairman Leslie Eden, HCI Partners
- Vice Chairman Kenneth Odom, Southern Company
- Treasurer Steve Wenke, Avista Utilities
- Secretary Wendy Bley, TRC Solutions
- Legal Counsel Janet Audunson, National Grid
- Past President Gregg Carrington, Chelan County PUD
Other board members are: Steve Amaral, Alden Laboratories; Steve Brown, HDR; Tim Brush, Normandeau Associations; Paul Jacobson, EPRI; Kenneth Kemp, Micro Renewable Solutions; Mark Killgore, American Society of Civil Engineers; Kimber Long, Exelon Corp.; Patrick McCarty, Tacoma Power; Gerry Russell, Weir American Hydro; and Michael Sale, Low Impact Hydro Institute.
Advisory board members are: Norm Bishop, Knight Piesold; John Esler, Portland General Electric; John Gangemi, ERM; Kirby Gilbert, MWH; Lisa Larson, HDR; Geoff Rabone, Yuba County Water Agency; Alan Roth, Weir American Hydro; Sue Nee Tan, PG&E; Carl Vansant, HCI Partners; Lewis Wardle, Idaho Power; and Paul Williams, Kleinschmidt Associates.
