Howard University Receives Huge Award from Department of Energy

Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy launched its first Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Clean Energy Education Prize Partnership Track. Howard University was one of only ten recipients of the award for the first of three phases of the program.

Entering Phase 2 this month, Howard University will have the opportunity to share a $4 million prize pool, which will be determined by the project’s status at the end of this phase. Phase 1 winners have already received $100,000 to help HBCUs form alliances with other universities, government organizations and industry experts to design new curriculum, build new programs and provide new opportunities that prepare HBCU students for long-term success in the sustainable energy sector.

In addition to the existing collaboration between Drexel University and Howard University, the project will support the shared goal of researchers and faculty to develop a clean and equitable energy curriculum that provides students with interdisciplinary, experiential learning.

“Howard University is proposing to develop an intercollegiate exchange program with Drexel University to train students through experiential learning in the areas of building decarbonization, clean energy, and smart building resilience,” said Carlton Waterhouse, J.D., Ph.D., professor of law at the School of Law and director of the Howard University Environmental and Climate Justice Center. Waterhouse will serve as the principal investigator (PI) on the project.”

Last fall, Howard University began offering a new, award-winning interdisciplinary course: Environmental Justice (EJ) + Health + Decarbonization, designed and taught by Nea Maloo, assistant professor of clean energy and architectural construction technology in the School of Engineering and Architecture and a Howard University researcher.

“The clean energy education and curriculum will position students to become leaders in the most rapidly evolving field. Students will be trained to design clean and equitable energy communities to help combat climate change. The networking and collaboration of students and professors will add value to the educational experience,” Maloo said.

DOE recently announced the first cohort of faculty members for the groundbreaking Faculty-Applied Clean Energy Sciences (FACES) program, a joint venture between the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the Office of Energy Justice and Equity, and the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (NRL). The program focuses on ensuring a clean and equitable energy future for the nation. Selected as one of the program’s fellows, Professor Maloo will work closely with scientists at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to improve STEM education and encourage responsible use of clean energy.

“Howard University is a proud recipient of the HBCU Clean Energy Prize, which is designed to help accelerate our nation’s transformation toward a clean and equitable energy future. Through this partnership with Drexel University, students from both universities will benefit greatly from an interdisciplinary educational experience. The innovation and creativity that will undoubtedly result from this collaboration has the potential to be a career-defining endeavor for participating students,” said John M. M. Anderson, dean of the Howard University College of Engineering and Architecture.