Students Lead the Charge on Campus Energy Efficiency at WWU

McKinstry intern Bre Mennenoh’s interest in energy was sparked by her childhood in Colorado, where she experienced the effects of unsustainable energy extraction firsthand.

As she was researching college options, she discovered the Institute for Energy Studies (IES) at Western Washington University (WWU), which trains the next generation of innovators to tackle the transition to sustainable energy. IES provides an interdisciplinary program that gives students technical and analytical expertise and pairs it with hands-on experience in the field.

“It’s not a traditional curriculum,” Bre explained. “We have some courses that are more classroom based and cover topics like thermodynamics, but for the most part, we’re getting out in the field and visiting different buildings to get a close look at their systems. The work is challenging, but it’s so rewarding.”