People Type: Students

Gursel Abbas is a PhD student in Chemical and Biological Engineering at UW–Madison, whose academic journey spans Azerbaijan, Spain, Turkey, and beyond. After surviving a life-threatening accident that left him with third-degree burns over 67% of his body, Gursel’s resilience fueled his academic ascent—from earning multiple scholarships and leading student organizations to publishing research and …

Payton Bartow is pursuing a PhD in Mechanical Engineering with the guidance of Professor Allison Mahvi and Professor Michael Wagner. He studies how to apply thermal energy storage to buildings. Recent efforts have focused on experimentally validating computational models of phase change material thermal energy storage heat exchangers. He hopes to make progress towards more …

Ryder Belgarde is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, working as a graduate researcher in the Thermal Hydraulics Laboratory under Dr. Mark Anderson.  Ryder’s research relates to studying thermal fluid fluctuations in Sodium Fast Reactor (SFR) nuclear cores and how those can transfer and potentially damage the containment structures. He is designing …

Matilyn Bindl is an MS student in the Nelson Institute’s Environment and Resources program, where she is excited to pursue her PhD in energy and climate policy under the guidance of Dr. Morgan Edwards of the La Follette School of Public Affairs. Matilyn graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2019 with her BS in …

Stephanie is an MPA student at the La Follette School with a background in state-level politics and environmental advocacy. In 2021, Stephanie graduated from UW–Madison with degrees in Political Science and Environmental Studies and set out to gain experience working in the state capitol. Stephanie worked as a legislative aide in the State Assembly where …

Jennifer is a PhD student with the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. Her research, supervised by Prof. Dominic Groß, relates to grid-forming control of power converters for reliable and stable integration of renewable energy into the bulk power system. Through a graduate minor in Energy Analysis and Policy, she strives to contribute to accessible and …

Miles Coppage is a graduate student pursuing his Masters in Public Affairs (MPA) from the La Follette School with an Energy Analysis Policy certificate. Prior to graduate school, Miles earned his undergraduate degree in Political Science from San Diego State University. In San Diego, Miles did work centering around student success and also held multiple …

Jake Erickson is a PhD student in the Environment and Resources program and Agricultural and Applied Economics program. His research investigates the distributional equity impacts of clean energy and decarbonization policies and technologies in the US and abroad. Prior to grad school, Jake worked in the energy analysis sector, consulting for major utilities in the …

Breck Flanagan-Caldwell, recipient of the Energy Analysis and Policy Student Scholarship, is a Water Resources Management student at the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, pursuing a double degree in International Public Affairs at the La Follette School and a graduate certificate in Energy Analysis and Policy. Originally from Oregon’s Columbia River Basin, Breck brings nearly …

Sharan is a PhD student in the Agricultural and Applied Economics department at UW Madison. His main interests lie in studying the wholesale electricity grid, regulatory policy, and renewable integration. Before coming to Madison, Sharan worked as an electricity consultant for utilities, co-ops, regulatory bodies and more, with experience in wholesale market modeling, rate design and electrification program analysis. He …