WRISE and GRID Alternatives today announced their selection of six women for the 2018 Rising Women SPI Fellowship. The fellowship is an opportunity for women from diverse backgrounds who are interested in solar careers to visit Solar Power International (SPI) for networking, mentorship and solar education. Part of GRID and WRISE’s workforce diversity initiatives, the programme is aimed at women training for careers in installation and design as well as college and graduate students studying renewable energy and related fields.
2018 Rising Women SPI Fellows:
Kathryn Corp, University of Washington
Allison Naganuma, Swarthmore College
Suliyat Olagbenro, University of Michigan
Janice Scott, EcoTech Institute
Gowri Srirarmagiri, University of Delaware
Jessica Wagner, Illinois Central College
“The women receiving this year’s awards are already making a positive impact in the renewable energy field” said WRISE Executive Director, Kristen Graf. “The Rising Women SPI Fellowship is an exciting opportunity that allows us to bring more women to this important annual event and help jumpstart their careers in the field. I look forward to seeing their careers grow in the years to come.”
Erika Symmonds, Vice President of Workforce Development and Service-Learning at GRID Alternatives, added that women’s voices and talents are critical to the solar industry’s continued growth and innovation and that the industry that needs a strong workforce and talented women looking to advance their careers, whether as solar installers, engineers or entrepreneurs.
WRISE and GRID will publicly recognise the fellows during the Solar Power International 2018 Conference and Exhibition in Anaheim, California at an event following the GRID Alternatives SPI Job Fair on Wednesday, September 26, 2018.
WRISE was founded in 2005 and works to promote the education, professional development, and advancement of women to achieve a strong diversified workforce and support a robust renewable energy economy. Since that time, WRISE has grown to an organisation with local chapters in the US and Canada; national programming that includes activities at renewable trade shows across the country, the Leadership Forum, Take Charge Workshops, mentoring, professional development and webinar series; and a growing grassroots network of more than 6,500 women and men.
GRID Alternatives specialises in making clean, renewable energy accessible to low income communities and communities of colour. Using a unique, people-first model, GRID develops and implements renewable energy projects that serve qualifying households and affordable housing providers, while providing hands-on job training. GRID has installed solar for more than 11,000 families to-date, helped households and housing providers save $327 million in lifetime electricity costs, and trained nearly 38,000 people.
For additional information:
Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy (WRISE)
