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Students from two high schools in the nation’s capital got a look at life in the clean energy lane from senior energy leaders and technical experts from the U.S. Department of Energy during the first Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) Interactive Expo this week at agency headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Kicking off the May 18 event, where Energy Department officials rolled out a rich science and technology welcome mat to students from H.D. Woodson and McKinley Technology high schools in the District of Columbia, were La Doris (Dot) Harris, DOE’s chief diversity officer, and David Friedman, the second in command of the office at the center of the clean energy economy.

Assistant Secretary Dot Harris, Director of DOE’s Office of Economic Impact and Diversity, and EERE Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary David Friedman, two self-described nerds, encouraged the students to explore careers in STEM. They cited the limitless opportunities for personal and professional success and the chance to solve pressing challenges such as clean energy and climate change.

Harris, an electrical engineering graduate of the University of South Carolina who swapped a small-town background for a climb up America’s corporate ladder–where she crisscrossed the globe (26 countries) during stints at Westinghouse, General Electric and other multinational companies–told the students her pathway proves that embracing one’s individuality and talents can pay huge dividends.

Office of Economic Impact and Diversity Director La Doris "Dot" Harris speaks to students from McKinley Technology and H.D. Woodson high schools during EERE's first interactive STEM Expo in Washington, D.C.

“I was a nerd in high school but I was a cool nerd,” Harris told the students. After working summers at the Energy Department’s Savannah River Site, which was not far from her home, Harris graduated from college with no less than 13 job offers. She prodded the students to be fearless and to embrace their diversity, noting that today “minorities are already the majority in your age range in this country.”

In fact, she said, studies have shown that the most successful companies in the world are those who find the right mix of technology, diversity, and innovation. Every student here today should pursue their dreams with the knowledge that “you will bring value to any table.” Harris pointed out that “owning who you are” benefits leading companies as well as agencies such as the Energy Department, where EERE’s approximately $2 billion portfolio spans activities that are unlocking a new era of sustainable products and speeding America’s transition to a clean energy economy.

Friedman, who has been an influential sustainable transportation and clean energy technology expert for more than two decades, said he landed at the Energy Department because “clean energy is cool.” Students who stick with the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, he said, “literally have an opportunity to change the world.”

Investing time and energy in STEM can help transform the future. That’s how tech whiz Elon Musk of SpaceX/Tesla Motors fame, U.S. astronaut Sally Ride, the first American woman to fly in space, and our very own Dot Harris (who was appointed by President Obama) did it, Friedman told the students.

Joining Friedman and Harris were a team of young professionals including electrical and mechanical engineers, a bioenergy specialist, environmental scientist, geologist, and fuel cell researcher, touting the possibilities for STEM professionals to pursue careers at DOE or its many partners across the nation.

These specialists came flush with videos and other props–including a wind turbine blade and miniature fuel-cell vehicle–giving students an up-close look at renewable energy solutions that could dramatically change the way they live and work. Through active demos and dialogue, the students learned how STEM disciplines hold the key to technology advances that could boost U.S. energy security, improve environmental quality, and strengthen America’s clean energy manufacturing.

During the event, students posed nonstop questions to the EERE experts on technologies spanning advanced manufacturing, bioenergy, hydrogen and fuel cells, geothermal, solar, and wind and water renewable power. They left with tool kits for continued learning in the classroom, and a better idea of clean energy areas to follow in the future. Favorite activities included the Bioenergy Jeopardy game and fuel cell demo. The students also got a primer on Energy Department-wide career and educational opportunities.

Kara Chamberlane from McKinley Technology High School in Washington, D.C., checks out a model wind turbine blade at EERE's STEM Expo.

EERE STEM Expo ABCs

  • EERE's first STEM Interactive Expo drew scores of students with a technology bent from two high schools in the nation's capital. 
  • The event at Energy Department headquarters introduced students to young technical experts from EERE working on cutting-edge clean energy technologies. 
  • The students enjoyed interactive demos and group sessions, a lunch, tested their smarts in a Bioenergy Jeopardy game, and learned about career and educational opportunities.
  • This effort marks the first in a series of expected STEM events sponsored by EERE in collaboration with the Energy Department’s Economic Impact and Diversity, and Human Capital offices.