Energy Systems Engineering master’s student Oumou Sidibe balances a full-time career with graduate studies as she sets her sights on improving energy generation and access in Mali.
Lehigh University’s master’s program in Energy Systems Engineering (ESE) regularly attracts students with big goals.
For Oumou Sidibe, that goal is to change the nature of energy generation in Mali.
“Some parts of the country have no access to electricity,” she says. “And in other parts, they do have access, but only for a few hours a day. On top of that, people are paying extremely high prices to get this electricity that is just not reliable.”
Sidibe plans to take what she learns during her graduate studies in the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science and launch a utility company in Mali, one that will be focused on delivering safe, reliable—and affordable—renewable energy. Speaking just weeks into her Fall 2020 semester classes, she already felt a greater grasp and appreciation for the mighty task at hand.
“I have a much better understanding of how utility companies work, and how energy is generated from various resources,” she explains. “It’s been so interesting to sit, virtually, through seminars given by industry professionals, and learn about grid technologies currently being used in the field.”
Sidibe, who is currently an application engineer for Johnson Controls in New Freedom, Penn., expects to finish the ESE program by the fall of 2022, or sometime in 2023. It can be tricky to balance navigating a full-time job with graduate school, but she appreciates the ready access to her professors and their willingness to problem-solve around her schedule. “I like the fact that you have one-on-one interactions with your professor, and you can go to them whenever you need to. And I really appreciate the small class sizes. It’s a great setting.”
Sidibe realizes she’s up against a lot when it comes to transforming energy generation in Africa’s eighth-largest country. But when that day eventually comes, she knows she’ll have the rigor and hands-on training she needs to confront the obstacles, and potentially change the lives of millions of people.
Energy Systems Engineering at Lehigh University
Lehigh's 30-credit master’s (M.Eng.) degree program in Energy Systems Engineering (ESE) provides the tools and training necessary for young scientists and engineers to address the emerging challenges of the energy and power industry and advance in their careers to positions of leadership.
During their studies, graduate students encounter business and management issues that are critical in this rapidly changing field. They acquire specialized knowledge that allows them to tackle challenges facing the U.S. utility infrastructure, its operations, and its environmental impact.
Full-time students complete the program in 10 months; a three-year part-time track is also offered for working professionals. Coursework is drawn from three core areas: energy generation (including coal, nuclear, oil and gas, fusion, and renewable energy sources such as wind and solar), transmission and distribution/smart grid (covering infrastructure systems, security, interconnections, and distribution optimization), and energy and the environment (including climate change, clean coal technologies, and nuclear waste issues). Each student also engages in a non-thesis industry-specific project that leverages related Lehigh research endeavors or addresses an issue identified by one of the program's industry sponsors.
Applications are currently being accepted. Classes start July 6, 2021. Visit engineering.lehigh.edu/ese for more information.
