The IEEE Power & Energy Society recently awarded scholarships to two Lehigh ECE Students—Jack Smiley and Xavier Beasley. These scholarships are awarded by PES annually to encourage students to pursue careers in the Power & Energy Fields.
Jack is a Senior majoring in Electrical Engineering, and he will graduate in December and head to grad school in 2026 to study at a location to be determined.
Xavier is a sophomore in the Computer Engineering Program and will be applying for a second scholarship in 2026.
Other Lehigh Students are encouraged to apply for this scholarship going forward. You do not have to be an IEEE & PES member to apply, but there are many reasons you should. PES waives the membership fee for first year student members. PES Scholarships are awarded for up to 3 years, for a total of up to $10,000 ($3000 for the first two years and $4000 for the third) for students who continue to apply and qualify.
These scholarships were originally intended for students specializing in the Power & Energy Fields, but due to the impacts of climate change and more, PES has opened the fields of study dramatically as of a year ago to include: Engineering, Computer Sciences and Information Technology, Physical Sciences, Biological and Medical Sciences, Mathematics, Technical Communications, Education, Management, and Law and Policy. The application window for scholarships to be awarded in 2026 opens on January 20, 2026. More information is available at IEEE PES Scholarship Plus Initiative
Alan Rotz (BS Lehigh J 1970), a Lehigh Valley Resident and longtime volunteer at Lehigh and a Past President of the IEEE Power & Energy Society has been promoting this opportunity for Lehigh students and is willing to answer questions. He can be reached at alrotz48@ptd.net.
Professor Zhiyuan Yan, the advisor to the IEEE Student Branch at Lehigh is also willing to provide assistance to students who wish to apply.