UNM is part of the Department of Clean Energy Sciences’ inaugural program for the department: UNM Newsroom

A UNM School of Engineering faculty member is part of the first-ever group to participate in the Faculty Clean Energy Sciences (FACES) program, funded by the Department of Energy.

Tito Busani, assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, represents UNM in this 10-week summer program. He will be one of approximately 60 faculty members from across the country who will travel to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado, to work with scientists and other cohort members to develop scalable educational modules on various types of clean energy: Related Topics .

The FACES program was created to provide opportunities to conduct clean energy research in real-world settings at minority-serving institutions across the country. It also aims to bridge the gap between Department of Energy laboratories and the academic community, improve STEM education, and promote clean energy accountability in the social and environmental sciences.

Busani said he couldn’t wait integration what he is learning in a program designed to incorporate this knowledge into his photovoltaics course he teaches at UNM and into his current research.

“This project is built on three pillars: UNM/NREL interaction, peer-to-peer interaction, and UNM/community interaction, which means research and community and education – the core missions of UNM,” he said. “UNM should be seen as a U.S. leader in clean energy.”

Collaboration will be a key part of this project.

“We will leverage the expertise of Department of Energy laboratories and other universities to create tailored educational solutions for classrooms and communities,” he said.

Educational modules will be incorporated into course curricula at each faculty member’s home educational institution and made available at minority-serving institutions to support teacher resource development and help students pursue careers in the clean energy industry.

Busani will also work with high school teachers across New Mexico so they can share clean energy technology knowledge with their students, as well as work with communities to integrate their place-based knowledge to create a sustainable career path that helps also communities in adopting clean technologies energy technology.

“We are interested in how to establish partnerships in the field of photovoltaics, which include design, hands-on training on solar panel installation and maintenance, for a sustainable ecosystem,” Busani said.

He said he is working with a graduate student and a high school teacher from Zuni Pueblo who plan to travel with him to NREL as part of the project. He also plans to have NREL scientists visit UNM courses.

He said the FACES cohort and partnership with NREL can help UNM become a community leader in energy efforts.

“We will be building a STEM community that will focus on research, education and community engagement in New Mexico,” he said.

The program starts on May 28 and ends on August 9.

Other universities in the FACES cohort include Alabama State University, City University of New York, Brooklyn College, Florida International University, Hawaii Pacific University, Howard University, Metropolitan State University of Denver, Northern Arizona University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Northwest Indian College, University of Hawaii at Hilo, University of Hawaii at Manoa, University of Houston, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, University of Texas at Arlington, and University of Texas at El Paso.

FACES is a joint effort of the Department of Energy’s NREL, the Office of Energy Justice and Equity, and the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.