Grove School junior Ondrea Kanwhen is a 2021 Udall Scholar.
Ondrea N. Kanwhen, a junior in The City College of New York’s Grove School Engineering with a passion for forging large scale renewable energy projects, is one of 55 students nationally selected as a 2021 Udall Scholar.
Supported by the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation, the highly qualified Scholars from 42 colleges and universities were picked based on their:
- Commitment to careers in the environment, Tribal public policy, or Native health care;
- Leadership potential;
- Record of public service; and
- Academic achievement.
As a Udall Scholar, Kanwhen and her cohort will have access to the Udall Alumni Network -- an association of change-makers, working in Indian country and environmental fields, sharing innovative ideas, professional advice, and job and internship opportunities.
Born in the U.S. of Liberian immigrant parents, Kanwhen is an electrical engineering major pursuing her second degree after previously earning a BS in international Business and Languages from the University of Tulsa. Her long-term goal is to start a renewable energy utility company to provide services to underserved communities.
She is a researcher at the Smart Grid Interdependencies Lab focusing on incorporating resiliency and energy efficiency in the Food Energy Water nexus. The Harlem resident is a certified solar installer and volunteers with Grid Alternatives to provide low-cost solar to low and moderate income households. As a Colin Powell Fellow at CCNY, she plans to pursue policy change that improves the availability and affordability of renewable energy.
In addition to her coursework, Kanwhen is working on two research projects. One is analyzing the benefits of electrifying food distribution fleets serving Gowanus. The other is modeling energy resources at wastewater treatment plants and using those resources to supply a community microgrid.
About the City College of New York
Since 1847, The City College of New York has provided a high-quality and affordable education to generations of New Yorkers in a wide variety of disciplines. CCNY embraces its position at the forefront of social change. It is ranked #1 by the Harvard-based Opportunity Insights out of 369 selective public colleges in the United States on the overall mobility index. This measure reflects both access and outcomes, representing the likelihood that a student at CCNY can move up two or more income quintiles. In addition, the Center for World University Rankings places CCNY in the top 1.8% of universities worldwide in terms of academic excellence. Labor analytics firm Emsi puts at $1.9 billion CCNY’s annual economic impact on the regional economy (5 boroughs and 5 adjacent counties) and quantifies the “for dollar” return on investment to students, taxpayers and society. At City College, more than 16,000 students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in eight schools and divisions, driven by significant funded research, creativity and scholarship. CCNY is as diverse, dynamic and visionary as New York City itself. View CCNY Media Kit.
Jay Mwamba
p: 212.650.7580
e:
jmwamba@ccny.cuny.edu
View CCNY Media Kit.