Offshore Wind Energy Engineering program celebrates five years

The Offshore Wind Energy Engineering program recently celebrated five years of their program at Tufts University. The event brought together members of the offshore wind community including faculty, staff, students, industry members, alumni and more. Attendees gathered in the Alumnae Lounge at Tufts for an evening of networking and community.

Professor of the Practice and Kentaro Tsutsumi Faculty Fellow Eric Hines organized the event. As the director of the offshore wind energy engineering graduate program at Tufts, he expressed appreciation to everyone for attending and spoke about the importance of continuing to nurture this growing industry. Professor and Department Chair Laurie Baise echoed his sentiments and emphasized the value the program has brought to the department and its contributions to the field.  

Following the speeches, Professor of the Practice Barbara Kates-Garrick of the Fletcher School moderated a panel with three alumni from the offshore wind program. Sanoli Boucher, E21, EG23, Roan Gideon, EG21, and Kelly Smith, E11, EG21, shared their perspectives on how the program has supported them in their career paths. All three credited their Tufts education with their success in the offshore wind industry. Roan reflected that his classroom experience at Tufts gave him confidence to ask critical questions in the workplace, while all three panelists emphasized the importance of the program’s interdisciplinary approach to their professional growth.

The offshore wind energy engineering program at Tufts is one of the only programs of its kind in the country, making it a central hub for those interested in joining the industry. The program offers PhD, MS, or certificate options and prepares students for jobs in global industry, academia, or the public sector. The curriculum combines policy, engineering, and project management training with a focus on offshore wind infrastructure, supply chain, and transmission. Over the last five years, the program has provided a unique opportunity for students looking to work in offshore wind.

While the offshore wind community is still relatively small in the United States, it is steadily growing, thanks in part to programs like Tufts’. Not only was the evening a celebration of five years of the offshore wind energy engineering program at Tufts, but it was also an opportunity for the community to gather and look back on all that has been accomplished over the last five years while anticipating the future of the industry.

Learn more about Offshore Wind at Tufts.