WOMEN IN POWER SYSTEM TRANSFORMATION MENTORSHIP PROGRAM LAUNCHED

The Women in Power System Transformation (Women in PST) Initiative and the Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transition (GWNET) have collaborated to establish a joint mentorship program. This program aims to amplify the voices of women in the energy sector and provide a platform for enhancing their participation and leadership in the global transformation and decarbonization of power systems. We are delighted to introduce the inaugural cohort of mentees on this page, consisting of a diverse group of 20 participants from Africa, Asia, and North and South America. These participants bring a wide range of interests and areas of expertise.

The Women in PST initiative is financially supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and is implemented through the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the Global Power System Transformation (G-PST) Consortium. Its primary objective is to expand leadership and technical training opportunities for women in the power sector.

Selected mentees

• Adedoyin Inaolaji, Assistant Professor, University at Buffalo
• Amelia Vakataleibau Sowani, Graduate Electrical Engineer, Energy Fiji Limited
• Bushra Rahman, Research Assistant, Independent University, Bangladesh
• Cecilia Doyle, Graduate Student, Johns Hopkins University
• Chandinee Chandrasekaran, Graduate Student, University of Colorado
• Emilly Atieno Olewe, Part time Instructor, Masinde Muliro University
• Jahnavi Nadipi, Markets Strategy Engineer – Commercial, Plus Power
• Kiran Siraj, Post Doc Fellow/Senior Consultant, LUMS Lahore/USAID PSIA
• Mahitha Pillodi, Graduate Research Intern, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
• Malebusa Makhetha, MSc Sustainable Energy student, National University of Lesotho
• Manisha Rauniyar, Engineer/Scientist, Electric Power Research Institute
• Mayuri Roy Choudhury, Teaching Associate, Arizona State University
• Nancy Cai Wu, Field Engineer, Vestas
• Natalia Zilfa Hasanita, Officer engineer, PLN Indonesia
• Natasha Justina Kumwenda, Energy Trader, ZESCO
• Rosamma Thomas, Research Scholar, Cochin University of Science and Technology
• Salma Bennai, PhD student, ENIT Tunisia and intern, NREL
• Selasi Gedjah, Assistant Project Officer for improved cookstove distribution project, Ministry of Energy Ghana
• Tetiana Mushynska, Director, Irshanska SES LLC
• Yasmin de Moraes Ramírez, Research Assistant, Fraunhofer ISE

Participating mentors

We are grateful to have a dedicated group of senior professionals serving as mentors to guide the mentees on their journey. Their commitment to making a positive impact on the careers of younger women in power system transformation is truly commendable. We are honored to have their support.

• Alex Pollock, Manager, Network Planning & Applications, AMSC
• Barbara Fischer-Aupperle, Founding Partner, GWNET
• Dudu Hadebe, Corporate Specialist, Grid Planning, Eskom
• Genevieve Lietz, Lead Engineer – Power System Modelling, Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO)
• Golbon Zakeri, Professor of Operations Research, University of Massachusetts Amherst
• Jarrad Wright, Senior Researcher, NREL
• Jhi-Young Joo, Engineer – Distribution Automation Lead, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
• Lina Ramirez, Research IV, NREL
• Maitreyi Karthik, Deputy Programme Manager, Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi
• Marcelina Elzbieta Golebiewska, Independent Energy Expert
• Maria Jarolin, Head of Internal Think Tank ‘System of the Future’, Elia
• Mosimanegape Mhaladi, Energy Consultant, TM Energy Engineering Contractors
• Noel Haynes, Managing Director, InvestinGreen.Energy
• Rachel Porto, Global Head of Health, Safety, Sustainability and Quality, Corio Generation
• Reena Suri, Executive Director, India Smart Grid Forum
• Silvana Ovaitt, Researcher, Bifacial PV Analyst, NREL
• Sunetra Chowdhury, Sasol-NRF Research Chair in Energy and Power Systems Modelling, University of Cape Town
• Syofvi Felienty Roekman, Director of Human Capital and Management, PT PLN
• Syukri M Nur, Lecturer, Darma Persada University
• Thushara De Silva, Research Engineer (Grid Planning and Analysis Center), NREL