MIE PhD Student Faustina Sarfo Receives Awards from the Association of Energy Engineers
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Faustina Sarfo, a PhD student in the Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department (MIE) in the Riccio College of Engineering and an ELEVATE Affiliate, has been awarded the Association of Energy Engineers’ Ruth Whitlock CWEEL Scholarship, as well as the New England Chapter of the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE NE) Scholarship. These awards recognize her academic achievements, excellence in mentoring, and commitment to advancing equitable and sustainable energy systems.
Faustina’s interest in energy began in Ghana, where frequent outages and inefficiencies underscored the need for more reliable and sustainable solutions. Motivated by the country’s energy challenges—and its untapped green energy potential—she earned a full scholarship to the University of Aberdeen to complete a master’s degree in renewable energy. She later worked on large-scale infrastructure and energy projects in Ghana, including overseeing electrical systems for a new port project and contributing to offshore oil and gas operations, experiences that deepened her interest in clean energy and emissions reduction.
Through this work, she became increasingly committed to developing green energy systems that address community needs and inform policymaking. She chose to pursue a PhD at UMass Amherst for its strong energy research portfolio, faculty expertise, and dedication to energy equity. Faustina’s doctoral research focuses on energy systems modeling to support equitable and reliable electricity access, with particular emphasis on renewable integration, grid reliability, and policy solutions for underserved communities.