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Mentor: Eloise Petrone Brown
Location:Anchorage
Key themes: marine energy, field work, community outreach, data analysis
Strand:AUSI

The Pacific Marine Energy Center at the ¾Ã¾ÃÈÈÊÓƵ (PMEC-UAF) provides practical and innovative solutions for hydrokinetic power generation to help meet Alaska's energy challenges. PMEC research informs communities, industry, regulators and other stakeholders on the economic and environmental sustainability of emerging hydrokinetic technologies. The Tanana River Hydrokinetic Test Site (TRTS) is used to test hydrokinetic power generating devices, related technologies, and to characterize the river environment under realistic Alaska river conditions. Researchers and industrial clients can use the test site to assess interaction between hydrokinetic devices and the environment, including fish interactions, debris management, turbine placement, hydrodynamic analysis, sediment transport and icing. PMEC and ACEP at UAF aim to support communities in finding practical, cost-effective energy solutions, and to accelerate the responsible development of wave, tidal and in-river energy technologies, which are collectively referred to as marine hydrokinetic (MHK) energy.

Project description: This internship will participate in a community assistance project evaluating river hydrokinetic  energy (RHK) on the Kuskokwim River  in McGrath, Alaska. The intern will learn data analysis techniques for velocity and bathymetric data measured by acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCP) and a multibeam echosounder (MBES), and become familiarized with the basics of Delft3D flow modeling and energy balance modeling software such as HOMER or MiGrids Lite. The student will have an opportunity to interact with local stakeholders and subsistence river users. This internship includes remote travel to McGrath for fieldwork and community meetings. The aim of this project is to support the community taking steps toward implementation of a RHK. demonstration project. Depending on the interests of the student, the work could be more technical around the river resource and modeling the microgrid, or could involve more community interviews and require some training in human subjects research and respectful engagement. Tasks will also include planning, prepping, and executing remote fieldwork, learning how to program and deploy numerous oceanographic and river instruments (ADCPs and sonars), boat driving, basic mechanical applications and development of community outreach materials. The intern will work out of the UAA campus, with optional travel to the PMEC lab on UAF campus.

This work will continue research from previous MS student research by Lydia Andriesson (, )

Project Goals / Expected Outcomes: This internship will participate in a community assistance project evaluating river hydrokinetic energy (RHK) in McGrath, Alaska. The intern will learn data analysis techniques for velocity and bathymetric data measured by acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCP) and a multibeam echosounder (MBES), and become familiarized with the basics of Delft3D flow modeling and energy balance modeling using software such as HOMER or MiGrids Lite. The student will have an opportunity to interact with local stakeholders and subsistence river users. This internship includes an opportunity for remote travel to McGrath for fieldwork and community meetings. By the end of the internship, the student will produce a short report and presentation to share with the community summarizing flow modeling and recommendations for grid integration of various renewables.

Relevant Majors and Skills: Although this internship is open to any major, candidates are preferred in engineering (ME, EE, civil) with some computer programming skills (e.g. Matlab, Python, etc.) and an interest in community outreach and engagement. This position requires a willingness and ability to spend time outdoors on the river and travel to remote locations. Seeking candidates with these qualities: responsible, attention to detail, and ability to work independently. Applicants with lived experience in rural Alaska are encouraged to apply.

Work setting: This intern will work from the ACEP Anchorage office. Mentorship will be in person and may also involve mentorship support from others in the PMEC team at UAF and researchers at UAA involved in the project. This internship includes an opportunity for remote travel to McGrath, Alaska for fieldwork and community meetings.

For Anchorage-based applications, applicants attending UAA or living in Anchorage are prioritized for this project. Funding for travel to Alaska and housing are not provided.

Mentor: Magnus de Witt
Location: Fairbanks
Key topics: Geothermal, Economics, low-temperature
Strand: REU

Alaska has the largest geothermal potential, yet the potential has not been utilized on a utility scale. Alaska's geothermal potential comes from the subduction zone along the edges of the Pacific tectonic plate. A particularly active area in Alaska is the Aleutian Arc, which stretches from Anchorage out towards Russia, covering over 2,500 km. However, there is a significant mismatch between the geothermal high-temperature areas and the demand. Well temperature data from oil drilling have shown some low-temperature geothermal fields in proximity to Anchorage. Such energy sources could be of interest for space heating and industrial processes.

Project Description: This project aims to create an overview of the current data on the low-temperature geothermal resource in the Railbelt area. Based on this information, the research aims to determine which sectors, such as residential and industrial consumers, can utilize geothermal low-temperature resources, evaluating their willingness to pay for the energy resource and comparing it against cost estimations of different technologies to determine if it is a viable energy option. The study should determine the next steps and follow-up research projects.

Project Goals / Expected Outcomes: A final report on low-temperature geothermal opportunities on the Railbelt and recommendations for future geothermal research. Additionally, it is expected that the student will present the research to his peers and, if possible, to a broader community. A student who is motivated to aim for publication in a scientific journal is strongly encouraged to apply.

Relevant Majors and Skills: This project seeks a student who is passionate about geothermal and energy economics. It is not bound to a particular field of study; however, the student should have some understanding of geothermal, economics, and geology. Moreover, the student should possess strong communication skills and a desire to solve problems independently. Possible majors include geology, energy economics, geothermal, or geophysics.

Work setting: This intern will work from the ACEP Fairbanks office. Mentorship will be in person. This project primarily involves desk work, with a mix of literature reviews and content creation. The intern may work with other interns conducting research in the field of geothermal and energy transition.

Mentor: Magnus de Witt
Location:Fairbanks
Key topics: Maritime Energy, Energy Economics, Energy Security, Arctic-Pacific collaborations
Strand: REU

Maritime energy technologies represent a rapidly emerging technology, with significant potential to help coastal and island communities harness local energy resources. By harnessing the power of waves, tides, currents, and offshore wind, reliance on imported fossil fuels can be reduced, supporting more resilient and sustainable energy systems. The utilization of local resources is of particular interest for remote and isolated communities, where transporting conventional fuels is logistically challenging and costly.

At first glance, Alaska and Guam may appear to have little in common, one located in the far north and the other in the western Pacific; a closer look, however, shows substantial similarities. Both regions are geographically remote, heavily dependent on imported fossil fuel, and consequently face high and volatile energy costs. Their dependence on external fuel supplies makes them vulnerable to disruptions in the global energy market, supply chain risks, and to geopolitical shocks.

In addition to these shared challenges, both Alaska and Guam hold strategic importance for U.S. national security. Each region hosts critical dual-use infrastructure that requires reliable and secure energy systems. Therefore, maintaining resilient energy infrastructure is crucial for ensuring operational readiness and supporting the resilience of local communities. Developing and deploying maritime energy technologies in these regions could therefore strengthen not only local energy independence and economic stability but also contribute to national security by enhancing the resilience of vital assets in remote locations.

Project Description: This project will combine detailed economic modeling, energy security evaluation, and technological feasibility studies of maritime energy sources in Alaska and Guam, aiming to promote sustainable, secure, and economically beneficial maritime energy systems in remote islanded locations.

• How do the energy economics of maritime decarbonization in Guam and Alaska compare?
• What lessons can Guam and Alaska share about balancing national defense, maritime trade, and clean energy transition goals?
• Energy security analysis focusing on local energy availability, reliability, and supply diversification.
• Techno-economic feasibility of renewable marine energy resources in the specific geographic and climatic contexts of Alaska and Guam.
• Environmental and socio-economic benefits, such as emissions reduction and local workforce development.

Project Goals / Expected Outcomes: A report on the lessons learned, both positive and negative, and resulting recommendations for future geothermal projects. Additionally, it is expected that the student will present the research to his peers and, if possible, to a broader community. A student who is motivated to aim for publication in a scientific journal is strongly encouraged to apply.

Relevant Majors and Skills: This project seeks a student who is passionate about geothermal and energy economics. It is not bound to a particular field of study; however, the student should have some understanding of geothermal, economics, and geology. Moreover, the student should possess strong communication skills and a desire to solve problems independently. Possible majors include geology, energy economics, geothermal, or geophysics.

Work setting: This intern will work from the ACEP Fairbanks office. Mentorship will be in person.

Mentor: Magnus de Witt
Location:Fairbanks
Key topics: microgrids, energy economics, energy security, socio-economic benefits
Strand: AUSI

Alaska has extensive and globally significant experience in the field of microgrids, driven by its unique geographic, climatic, and economic conditions. Over 200 remote communities are operating islanded microgrids. Due to challenging logistics and increasing fuel costs, communities have sought more affordable ways to generate electricity over the past few decades than diesel-based systems. The innovative approach of the communities has led to a wide range of hybrid renewable systems, including wind, solar, hydro, battery, and flywheel. Kodiak Island is a leader in terms of integrating renewables; its hydro-wind system provides 99% of the electricity. 

Project Description: This project looks into transferring microgrid knowledge from Alaska to temperate areas (the lower 48 th & Europe), offering valuable lessons in resilience, remote energy management, and renewable integration. Energy security is a growing concern; continental grids have experienced blackouts related to the volatility of energy generation. For example, a large blackout occurred in Spain in the spring of 2025. Alaska's expertise in microgrids can help build small-scale, grid-connected microgrids for building blocks. The grid-connected microgrid would provide the building with added energy security, as it can operate off-grid during a blackout event. 

Relevant Majors and Skills: This project seeks a student who is passionate about geothermal and energy economics. It is not bound to a particular field of study, however the student should have some background in the relevant fields. Moreover, the student should have strong communication skills and the desire to problem solve independently. Possible majors include geology, energy economics, geothermal, or geophysics.

Work setting: This intern will work from the ACEP Fairbanks office. Mentorship will be in person. This project is primarily desk work with a mix of literature reviews, mapping, and programming.

Mentor: Stephanie Fisher & Leo Azizi
Location:Fairbanks
Key themes: hydrokinetics, test site, field work, hydrological data collection, 3D modeling 
Strand: REU

The Pacific Marine Energy Center at the ¾Ã¾ÃÈÈÊÓƵ (PMEC-UAF) provides practical and innovative solutions for hydrokinetic power generation to help meet Alaska's energy challenges. Our research informs communities, industry, regulators and other stakeholders on the economic and environmental sustainability of emerging hydrokinetic technologies.

Project Description: This internship gives a student the opportunity to work at an active hydrokinetic test site, in the PMEC shop, and on other oceanographic or inter-rivine projects doing field work, data collection, problem solving, and other tasks that a student would often learn when they enter the workforce in a related field. This internship includes a lot of hands-on work with tools, different materials, and a wide range of instruments used in hydrological data collection. Students will spend several days job shadowing a PMEC engineer and a PMEC project manager to see how projects work from start t o finish. The intern will work with their mentors to develop a project that reflects their interests. 

Project Goals / Expected Outcomes:The intern will learn the basic fundamentals of data acquisitions systems, field instruments, general hardware, mechanical, and electrical systems used to solve a research question that they develop with their mentor. 

Relevant majors and skills: This internship is open to any major, though fisheries, mechanical engineering, ocean engineering, and marine science are particularly well suited. The candidate must be able and willing to spend their summer outdoors on the river. Prior experience with power tools, hand tools, basic electrical and boating experience is highly desired. The intern should have a growth mindset and desire to learn the ins and outs of fieldwork, with some background in computer programming, and strong communication skills. The intern needs to have a current driver’s license.

Work Setting: This internship will be based primarily at the ACEP Fairbanks office, with trips driving to the Tanana River Test Site, 55 miles outside of Fairbanks. This position requires that the individual is comfortable on moving water, able to lift a minimum of 25lbs, can maneuver large and cumbersome equipment, and has a current driver’s license. This internship is based in Fairbanks with an in-person mentor.

Mentor: Annalise Klein Gerlach
Location:Fairbanks or Anchorage
Key themes: energy education, interdisciplinary projects, visual asset creation, digital learning tools,
Strand: REU

ACEP’s Education and Workforce Development Program (Ed/WFD) partners across ACEP research groups and external organizations to connect Alaska’s energy workforce, elevate community energy leaders, and develop applied energy education. Programs such as the Arctic Remote Energy Networks Academy (ARENA), undergraduate short courses, and the ACEP Summer Internship Program generate rich learning content, student and workforce experiences, and community-based activities that benefit from high-quality visual materials and accessible digital formats to strengthen the educational impact and inform partners, future participants, and the broader community.

Project Description: This intern will work with the Ed/WFD team to develop visual materials and digital assets that enhance and support the work being done across a variety of projects. The intern will gain experience working across multiple initiatives and will contribute directly to products that are creative and visually accessible. Tasks may include: 

• Producing a short video for an online course on community energy planning
• Conducting brief interviews and collecting footage with other summer interns to capture their summer projects and learning over the summer
• Build ArcGIS StoryMaps or similar materials for the Energy Leadership Accelerator program to help organize community profiles, site visits, and energy concepts in a clear, engaging manner
• Develop a community tool kit based on findings from a program synthesis report for rural energy leaders

Project Goals / Expected Outcomes: By the end of the internship, the intern will produce 2-4 visual and digital assets that the Ed/WFD program can use for ongoing education, outreach to prospective participants, and program documentation for funders. The intern will have a blend of assigned tasks and co-developed deliverables based on their own skillset and interests.

Relevant Majors and Skills: This project is open to applicants from a wide variety of majors that support creative thinking, interdisciplinary interests, and community-centered work. Strong candidates will have skills in visual design tools including Canva, Adobe Express, or Adobe Photoshop, basic video editing, and writing skills. Applicants should be inquisitive and curious and should be interested in learning more about scientific topics with which they are not familiar. In your short answer for this project, please include links to 2 examples of relevant work you have done. The examples do not need to be previously published.

Work setting: This intern will be based in Fairbanks with virtual mentorship with their mentor who is based in Anchorage. There will be in-person interviewing and potential local travel to record media. 

This position is open to being Anchorage-based if the intern has their own housing and transportation available in Anchorage.

Mentor: John Haverlack
Location:Fairbanks
Key themes: microgrids, cybersecurity, cyberinfrastructure, education, workforce development
Strand: REU

Alaska's energy landscape presents a unique security challenge: while utilities on the central Railbelt grid will soon have a regulatory framework to address cyber-risk, the majority of the state's islanded microgrid utilities operate without comparable guidance. These microgrids are essential lifelines for hundreds of remote communities but face limited financial and human resources, making it difficult to maturely address growing cyber-risk. This internship directly supports the Alaska Center for Energy and Power (ACEP) initiative to address this gap by enhancing the existing CAMIO Cyber-physical Lab into a comprehensive Cyber Range by developing cybersecurity training modules for hands-on workshop events to be hosted by ACEP.

Project Description: This internship will transform core security principles into highly practical, engaging training modules for the deployable Portable Training Ground Resource. The intern will use the existing CAMIO Lab's virtualization platform to design, build, and validate the training content. The intern will begin with intensive training on foundational concepts: IPv4 networking, Gateways, DHCP, NTP, and basic firewall configuration in order to complete the internship’s primary task: developing two complete training modules as sets of CTFd (Capture The Flag) challenges targeted for a 2026 Rural Energy Conference workshop in Fairbanks:

• Module 1:Networking  Basics:Develop challenges that teach participants how to correctly implement network segmentation, configure essential services like DHCP, DNS and NTP the core services of any Local Area Network (LAN)

• Module 2: Firewall Basis: Develop challenges that teach participants how to set up and configure basic firewall routers and mult-lan segmented networks.

Project Goals / Expected Outcomes: The intern will produce tangible assets that directly support the deployment of the Portable Training Ground Resource and advance the Resilient Alaska Microgrid Reference Architecture. These outcomes are designed to be reproducible and effective for hands-on, community-based workforce training.

Relevant Majors and Skills: The primary focus for preferred majors is in fields such as Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Cybersecurity, Information Systems, and Electrical Engineering. Core technical skills required for this role include an aptitude for a foundational understanding of IPv4 networking, subnetting, and network addressing, along with familiarity with the Linux command-line interface and the ability to quickly learn and apply firewall and network configuration principles. Desirable technical experience includes prior exposure to virtualization platforms like Proxmox or VMware, familiarity with network analysis tools like Wireshark, experience with the CTFd platform or similar learning management systems, and a working understanding of core network services such as DHCP, DNS, and NTP. Critical soft skills include strong technical writing and documentation ability to translate complex technical configurations into clear, reproducible instructions for utility staff, a capacity for independent problem-solving to troubleshoot networking and virtualization issues within the lab environment, and a genuine interest in developing effective, hands-on training and instructional materials.

Work setting: This intern will work from the ACEP Fairbanks office. Mentorship will be in person and supported by multiple people on the cyber infrastructure team. Most work will be done in the lab with hands-on access to hardware and a computer interface. There is a potential opportunity for travel to a rural community to deploy hardware.

Mentor: Daisy Huang
Location:Fairbanks
Key themes: UAF self-sufficiency, Fairbanks self-sufficiency, community resilience
Strand: Utility-Research Partnerships
Utility partner:¾Ã¾ÃÈÈÊÓƵ Facilities

¾Ã¾ÃÈÈÊÓƵ (UAF) is an islandable mini-grid within the Fairbanks electrical grid, and Fairbanks is part of the Railbelt grid (see by ACEP intern Kemi Adediran). Although Fairbanks purchases power from Anchorage via the Intertie, if the Intertie trips or goes offline, Fairbanks has sufficient generation capacity to power itself and maintain a decent degree of frequency stability including Aurora Power, Zehnder Power Plant, North Pole Diesel, and the BESS. It does not, however, have black start capability. UAF campus can also power itself through its own coal-fired combined heat and power plant. This power plant is connected to the Fairbanks (and thus the Railbelt Grid). It, too, does not have black start capability.

Project Description: We would like to investigate the options for UAF and for Fairbanks North Star Borough to have black start capability if we have a total outage and are not connected to the Intertie. For UAF, that almost certainly means a diesel or natural gas-fired generator at the UAF power plant. For Fairbanks, there are more options, and can happen at Zehnder, Aurora, North Pole, or another site. They can involve purchasing new generation assets or beefing up the power electronics on existing assets. In this project, the intern will conduct interviews, assessments, and build up their technical competence to evaluate what it would take to bring black start capabilities to the UAF power plant.

Project Goals / Expected Outcomes: The outcome of this project will be a report documenting findings and recommendations, including cost estimates and likelihood of success for each proposed path forward. The intern will give a final presentation to the UAF Facilities team and possibly other local utilities.

Relevant Majors and Skills: Electrical or mechanical engineering, an interest in power systems. A highly motivated junior or senior would be preferred. Familiarity with AC power systems is strongly desired.

Work Setting: This internship will be based primarily at the ACEP Fairbanks office with site visits around Fairbanks. The intern will have a team of mentors supporting different aspects of the project.

Mentor: Michelle Wilber
Location:Anchorage (travel and housing is not provided )
Key themes: rural Northern communities, Beneficial Electrification, Electric Vehicles, social science, statistics, surveys, community engagement
Strand: AUSI

People have concerns about the performance of EVs in the harsh winter conditions of Alaska, and how they might integrate in rural Alaska. We also do not want to leave people behind in an energy transition. It may save customers money and reduce emissions if most people are able to switch to EVs and use renewable energy, but if some people are left behind in this transition, and their needs unmet, this is unfair. We need more information to make sure that this engineering solution benefits all members of society.

Project Description: We are crowdsourcing data from EVs on the road in Alaska and deploying an ‘intercept’ survey to collect information from users of EV chargers in the state. The intern will be responsible for collecting additional survey deployment as well as analysis of data from both sources. This analysis will allow us to help individuals and communities make informed decisions on where EVs might bring benefits to Alaskans. Previous work by interns in 2024 and 2025 have helped develop the survey instrument and begin the analysis of early EV data. This project will use and expand on literature research skills, data analysis/visualization and python coding skills, as well as writing/storytelling skills. It will also develop an intern’s skills in ethical research with human subjects and working with community partners and community members to gather further survey information. 

Project Goals / Expected Outcomes: By the end of internship, the intern will produce presentation slides and/or web-based story maps that will illuminate the results of the data collection and analysis in a way that is engaging and understandable by a wide range of Alaskans. They will also refine the model for EV energy use behind the .

Relevant Majors and Skills: This project is ideal for a variety of majors, with an interdisciplinary interest in the energy transition, statistical methods, community engagement, and/or social sciences. Applicants with lived experience in rural Alaska are preferred but not required.

Work Setting: This internship will be based at ACEP Anchorage office at University of Alaska Anchorage.

For Anchorage-based applications, applicants attending UAA or living in Anchorage are prioritized for this project. Funding for travel to Alaska and housing are not provided.

Mentor: Michelle Wilber
Location:Anchorage
Key themes: cost analysis, beneficial electrification engineering performance studies, energy economics, fuels substitution, urban Alaska
Strand: Utility-Research Partnerships
Utility Partner:[ Local Alaska Utility]

Beneficial electrification, including switching from combustion to heat pumps for building heat and trading gas for electric cars, promises potential benefits to wallets, the climate, and cost-effective electric grid operation. However, there are unknowns in their performance and potential in Alaska. Heat pumps, which use a refrigerant cycle to transfer heat from cold air to warm the indoors, can be an efficient and healthy way to heat homes, even in cold climates. Maine, Sweden, southeast Alaska, and the Northwest Arctic Borough of Alaska are all leading the way in heat pump deployment. However, the Anchorage area has few heat pumps deployed despite a relatively mild winter climate and large population. Progress towards widespread heat pump adoption has been hindered by looming questions around installation cost, operating cost compared to natural gas heating, conservation of regional natural gas reserves, and the community benefits to electricity ratepayers as a whole. Electric vehicles are being adopted more quickly since they are cheaper to operate than gas vehicles in Anchorage. Questions about beneficial electrification can be investigated with electric consumption data available for heat pumps and electric vehicles.

Project Description: The intern will assist with beneficial electrification data collection and analysis in the Anchorage area, helping to decide appropriate instrumentation and techniques. The intern will use this analysis to answer key questions from stakeholders about the potential benefits and challenges to beneficial electrification in the Anchorage area, as well as policies, incentives, and other possible ways to effectively address barriers.

Project Goals / Expected Outcomes: By the end of the internship, the student will produce a short engineering report of their findings.

Relevant Majors and Skills: This project seeks an intern who is passionate about energy solutions. It is not bound to a particular field of study. The intern should have the desire to independently problem solve and be curious about how energy relates to new technology, policy, economics, and lived experience. Possible majors include environmental studies, engineering, economics and related fields. 

Work Setting: This internship will be based in Anchorage and the intern’s time will be split between the utility office and the ACEP Anchorage office at University of Alaska Anchorage.

For Anchorage-based applications, applicants attending UAA or living in Anchorage are prioritized for this project. Funding for travel to Alaska and housing are not provided.