One of our first corporate members at Ohio State Battelle Center joined our students to talk about the political climate for energy in Ohio and discussed Invenergy’s efforts to create meaningful connection with communities.
Invenergy brought a contingent of engineers and project developers led by Jack Kramer to connect with students. Along with talking about opportunities for students, the team discussed the skills they use to make an impact and how they talk to communities.
Jack talked answered questions about his skill set and how things have changed since his time in college. When asked about how his work in college compares to the work he’s doing now, Jack replied, “Not what I thought I would be doing. There is a lot of learning. It’s a lot of the same core concepts of engineering.”
He talked about how different engineering disciplines come together and how he uses his skills to be a part of the process. “Am I able to understand the numerous scientific reports? Maybe. Can I communicate this knowledge to others? That’s the important part,” Jack told students as they wondered what they need to be successful.
Students also asked a lot about the community engagement side of energy development. “Something we’ve worked on over the last two years with the Battelle Center is focusing less on our response from a STEM standpoint to why is this a benefit to the community.”
“We are going to be a part of these communities for 20-30 years. We want to make sure we are serving the communities the best we can.” Students gained a better sense of how important the human piece of these projects is built into the business.
At the end of the event, students got the chance to speak with our guests and introduce themselves. It was a great opportunity for students to network within an industry they are interested in entering while creating community with their fellow students.
One student attendee noted why they attended the event, “I wanted to meet more people interested in energy and create more community.” This is goal we share with our students and are happy to help them connect to their peers and the industry.
