As the weather warms up in Grand Forks, North Dakota, a new flock of Hawks ushers in the 2022 Energy Hawks Program. The program is a fully immersive internship experience hosted by the State Energy Research Center (SERC) at the EERC. During this program, students work closely with EERC engineers, research scientists, and project managers while learning about North Dakota’s current energy landscape, focusing on future energy challenges, and developing value-added opportunities.
This year’s group includes a total of 13 students from disciplines ranging from economics and mathematics to engineering and medicine. These students have flocked from all over the world with home bases as local as Grand Forks, Bismarck, and Alaska to as distant as Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Bangladesh, Nepal, Ukraine, and Jamaica.
The EERC is happy to introduce the 2022 Energy Hawks:
Shree Bade
Shree, originally from Kavre, Nepal, is pursuing a Ph.D. degree in Energy Engineering at the University of North Dakota (UND) after earning a M.S. degree in Wind Energy from Technical University of Denmark. Shree is most looking forward to understanding energy systems in North Dakota and contributing his knowledge to help make North Dakota’s energy more efficient.
Ryan Beller
Ryan is originally from Wasilla, Alaska, and is pursuing an A.A.S. degree in Process Technology at Bismarck State College. Ryan has 15 years of experience installing gas, electric, and water meter infrastructure and is most looking forward to making connections with energy leaders and pioneers.
Jonathan Boateng
Jonathan is originally from Ghana and is pursuing a M.S. degree in Mathematics with emphasis in applied mathematics and statistics at UND. Jonathan is most looking forward to learning about energy and how it complements his knowledge in mathematics.
Munkaila Lamboungang
Munkaila is originally from Tamale, Ghana, and is studying Applied Economics at North Dakota State University (NDSU). Munikaila was initially interested in this internship because of the correlation between energy research and his current research thesis at NDSU.
Hannah Laumb
Hannah is an honors pre-med student from Grand Forks, North Dakota, pursuing a B.S. degree in Medical Lab Science and minors in biology and chemistry at UND. Hannah is most looking forward to meeting other Energy Hawks and EERC employees who share the common goal of providing energy for North Dakota’s future.
Kayanna Morgan
Kayanna, originally from Kingston, Jamaica, is pursuing a Ph.D. degree in Computer Science at UND after earning a B.B.A. in Information Systems, with minors in computer science and cybersecurity. Kayanna was initially interested in this internship because of the doors it would open for future opportunities.
Bogdan (Bo) Nechepurenko
Bo, originally from Mariupol, Ukraine, is pursuing a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering at UND after earning a B.S. degree in Biology at Minnesota State University-Moorhead. From this opportunity, Bo hopes to gain experience working on a team as well as learning about energy structures.
Luc Yvan Nkok
Luc, originally from Yaounde, Cameroon, is pursuing a Ph.D. degree in Petroleum Engineering at UND after earning both B.S. and M.S. degrees in Petroleum Engineering at China University of Petroleum-Beijing. Luc was initially interested in this internship because of the opportunity to interact with experts in energy and to learn about new technologies in the energy industry.
Tomiwa Oguntade
Tomiwa earned both a B.Eng. and M.Eng. degrees in Petroleum Engineering from Covenant University of Nigeria and is pursuing a Ph.D. degree in Petroleum Engineering at UND. Tomiwa is originally from Lagos, Nigeria, and hopes to gain more knowledge of the energy industry in North Dakota.
Imteaz Osmani
Imteaz earned both a B.S. and M.B.A. degrees in Mechanical Engineering and is pursuing a Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering at UND. Imteaz is originally from Dhaka, Bangladesh, and is most looking forward to learning more about CO2 capture and reducing emissions.
Favour Ozordi
Favour, originally from Imo, Nigeria, is pursuing a M.S. in Economics at the University of Waterloo after earning an honors degree in Energy Economics and Finance with a minor in Applied Statistics. From this internship, Favour hopes to gain a deeper understanding of energy systems in North Dakota and research experience that might aid in future master’s programs.
Irin Rahman
Irin earned both a B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mathematics in Bangladesh. Irin is originally from Dhaka, Bangladesh and is pursuing a second M.S. degree in Mathematics at UND. From this experience, Irin hopes to gain an understanding of how energy helps the economy and environment.
Erik Solie
Erik is a junior at UND and is currently pursuing a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering. Erik is originally from Bismarck, North Dakota, and was initially interested in this internship to gain a better understanding of the energy industry. Erik is most looking forward to working with others from a diverse set of backgrounds.