Three Pitt electrical engineering students receive IEEE Power & Energy Society Scholarships

PITTSBURGH (January 27, 2014) … Three students at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering were among this year's select recipients of the IEEE Power & Energy Society (PES) Scholarship Plus Initiative. Michael Doucette, Christopher Scioscia and Zachary Smith, who are enrolled in the Swanson School's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, were among 228 recipients from 116 universities in the U.S. and Canada.

"The IEEE PES Scholarship Plus Initiative is one of the most recognized and sought-after programs, and I couldn't be more proud of our three Power and Energy recipients," noted Gregory Reed, PhD , director of the Swanson School's Electric Power Initiative and associate professor of electrical and computer engineering. "All of our students who have applied for this scholarship since its inception have won, and so this is a testament to their academic excellence and research." Mr. Scioscia was awarded his first scholarship this year, while Mr. Doucette received his second annual scholarship and Mr. Smith his third and final yearly award.

Mr. Doucette of Natrona Heights, Pa. is a senior majoring in electrical engineering with a concentration in power engineering. He currently is completing a co-op with GE Energy Power Conversion, and recently accepted an offer with GE for the Edison Engineering Development program where he will work full-time while taking classes through GE and an online master's program through Georgia Tech. Mr. Scioscia of Gibsonia, Pa. plans to continue with graduate studies in either power systems or power electronics. Mr. Smith of Grindstone, Pa. has completed three co-op rotations with Eaton and upon graduation in April 2014 he will work for its Application Engineering Leadership Development Program.

The IEEE PES Scholarship Plus Initiative provides multi-year scholarships and career experience opportunities to qualifying electrical engineering undergraduate students. As long as the scholar continues to meet renewal standards, he or she will receive up to three years of funding - $2,000 the first year, $2,000 the second year and $3,000 the third year - interspersed with up to two years of valuable, hands-on career experience.

The scholarship fund is administered by the IEEE Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation established in 1973 in the State of New York exclusively to support the scientific and educational purposes of IEEE. Visit www.ieeefoundation.org for more information.


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