Additional Information
What Will I be Doing?
Graduate students will engage with their mentor to conduct marine energy research as proposed in the research plan, while postgraduates will collaborate with their mentor to advance marine energy through experiential learning as outlined in the proposed research plan.
Graduate students will spend a minimum of six months, while postgraduates will spend a minimum of 12 months, at the host facility, virtually, or onsite during their one-year appointment.
Why Should I Apply?
As a fellow in the Marine Energy Fellowship Program, you will:
- Enhance your education and training in water power technologies.
- Advance your Master’s or Doctoral thesis in marine energy research (Graduate Student Track).
- Strengthen your marketable skills in marine energy-related disciplines.
- Collaborate with top scientists and access state-of-the-art equipment.
- Gain deep insight into research and career opportunities through immersion at your host facility.
- Work alongside experts developing and testing emerging technologies.
- Learn about career paths in marine energy research and related fields.
- Receive mentorship to support your next career step.
Announcing the 2026-2027 Summer Cohort of Marine Energy Fellows
Asta Habtemichael
Proposed Research Topic
AI applicability in decision making and trust perceptions by regulators for water power technologies
Host Facility
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Personal Interests and Background
Dr. Asta Habtemichael is a mixed method researcher who is committed to enhance energy production capabilities through the introduction of new technologies with sound integration of science into policy. When not doing science, Asta enjoys playing soccer, running, and hiking.
Why Marine Energy?
The idea of harnessing marine energy to generate power for remote island communities to provide cheaper and reliable power sources has been a quest of science and engineering. With a background in ocean science and policy, Asta believes the current technological advances will lead to the realization the dream.
Ava Hermes
Proposed Research Topic
Differentiable Hydrodynamic Modeling for Geometry Optimization of Wave Energy Converters
Host Facility
Sandia National Laboratories
Personal Interests and Background
During her free time, Ava loves rock climbing and snowboarding.
Why Marine Energy?
Ava is excited to contribute to the field of marine energy. The opportunity to support its growth motivates her, especially with improving sustainable energy for the future.
Megan Hinks
Proposed Research Topic
Spatial analysis of the levelized cost of water (LCOW) from the theoretical deployment of wave-powered desalination devices in U.S. coastal waters, focused on the west coast and island territories.
Host Facility
Kelson Marine Co.
Personal Interests and Background
Outside of research, Megan loves the outdoors and traveling. She enjoys running, reading, scuba diving, and art and music in all forms. She strives to be a lifelong learner in every facet of her life, from her career in research to her day‑to‑day experiences.
Why Marine Energy?
Megan was born in St. Croix and maintains her ties to the island and the rest of the Caribbean through family friends that have lived there over the years. Their adaptations to hurricanes and climate change stand as a testament to the resilience of island communities and have served as a source of inspiration for the development of innovative solutions to complex modern problems, such as the advancements being made in marine energy.
Fazlur Rahman Bin Karim
Proposed Research Topic
Reliability Assessment Framework for IVT Gearbox Systems in the Context of Tidal Current Energy Converters
Host Facility
Idaho National Laboratory
Personal Interests and Background
With a deep passion for exploring rugged landscapes and untamed natural wonders, Fazlur brings a curious and adventurous spirit to life’s discoveries. Whether it's late-night thoughts on physics, tech, or life's big questions, he brings a thoughtful and fun energy to every conversation.
Why Marine Energy?
Driven by his passion for marine energy, Fazlur sees it as a transformative force for resilient power generation with immense real-world impact. Through his advanced data-driven condition monitoring capabilities, he masterfully addresses complex technical challenges, enhancing system performance and innovation across the marine energy domain.
Connor Mack
Proposed Research Topic
Exploring opportunities for the co-location of marine energy generation with emerging ocean industries, mapping c-development and commercialization pathways for technologies well-suited for ocean-powered operations.
Host Facility
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Personal Interests and Background
Out of research, Connor enjoys rock climbing, trail running, backpacking, skiing, and cycling. He’s looking forward to exploring the mountains and forests of the Pacific Northwest and the waters of Puget Sound.
Why Marine Energy?
Connor applied to the Marine Energy Fellowship because it sits at the intersection of his interests in the ocean, energy, and climate systems. He is particularly interested to explore how marine energy can act as a catalyst for the broader blue economy by providing onsite, reliable power generation for coastal industries. Collaborating with PNNL offers a unique opportunity to bridge fundamental research with real-world deployment strategies and help shape the future of this emerging sector.
Collin Treacy
Proposed Research Topic
Development of differentiable hydrodynamic and optimal control software for scalable wave energy converter farm design optimization, which builds upon the previous MarineHydro and WecOptTool projects.
Host Facility
Sandia National Laboratories
Personal Interests and Background
Collin’s fascination with marine energy started as an undergraduate student studying floating offshore wind turbines. Throughout his master's and PhD studies, he has developed an appreciation for nonlinear dynamics, control systems, and design optimization. In his free time, he enjoys scootering, rock climbing, and going to the gym.
Why Marine Energy?
Collin finds marine energy, in particular, interesting due to its untapped potential and unique multidisciplinary coupling. As a PhD student, he sees his research as the perfect fusion of his interests in wave energy and mathematical modeling.
Hannah Walker
Proposed Research Topic
Development and implementation of a machine learning (ML) guided adaptive control system for the MBARI-WEC to improve power production under variable ocean conditions, including model development, a structured validation process, and Edge AI deployment.
Host Facility
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
Personal Interests and Background
Outside of researching the ocean, Hannah spends her time in the water spearfishing and surfing. She also enjoys pottery, baking, and sewing. She grew up in San Diego and loves spending as much time outside as possible.
Why Marine Energy?
Hannah is interested in marine energy because it is a readily available resource that can be used to expand ocean study and exploration. Hannah is excited for this opportunity because it combines her current skills and interests to expand the MBARI-WEC capabilities.
Avery Wilson
Proposed Research Topic
Advance numerical coastal modeling capabilities with high-resolution SCHISMs for wave and tidal energy resource assessments along the Northeast U.S. coastline, supporting ocean industry applications.
Host Facility
Kelson Marine Co.
Personal Interests and Background
Beyond her scientific research, Avery enjoys walks with her dogs, crafting, baking, reading, and sailing. As a Colorado native, she has long dreamed of living by the ocean and building a career centered on studying it.
Why Marine Energy?
Avery is drawn to marine energy because it brings together her interests in ocean engineering and physical oceanography. She thrives in interdisciplinary environments and is eager to deepen her understanding of ocean processes to help harness them more effectively and sustainably.