People Type: Students

Sam Garcia is a graduate student pursuing a Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering & Engineering Physics with a minor in Energy Analysis and Policy. His current research focuses on modeling multi-physics phenomena for nuclear micro-reactors to understand how to optimize for cost, safety, and performance. Sam received a BS in Nuclear Engineering from UW–Madison with a …

Yiwen Gu is a PhD student in the Electrical and Computer Engineering department. He conducts research with Prof. Bernie Lesieutre on resistivity and stability control of power systems. Yiwen earned his bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Virginia Tech. During his undergraduate, he participated in the Virginia Tech Wind Turbine Team as a …

Sara Hartke is a graduate student in Civil and Environmental Engineering, where she is pursuing her master’s degree under the guidance of Nimish Pujara and Jennifer Franck (in the Engineering Physics department). She received her bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Dallas in May 2020 before starting at UW–Madison as a …

Xiyuan Hu is a Ph.D. student in the Population Health Sciences of UW–Madison. She is interested in analyzing health issues via the perspective of the interaction of economics and energy, especially the effects and implications of energy using on the status of population health.

Ugochukwu Ikegwu is a graduate student (Ph.D.) in Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. “No challenge poses a greater threat to future generations than climate change” and “at present, we are stealing the future and calling it GDP.” This captures the crux of his interest in the energy sector; analyzing and reengineering …

Jennifer, Dine/Navajo, is a Ph.D. student at the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and works at the intersection of STEM, social sciences, and policy. Her proposed research is focused on the potential of tribal-owned utility development to provide clean, reliable electricity for tribal communities. In addition to the 2024 EAP scholarship, Jennifer received the 2024-25 Public Humanities …

Dean Krueger is a graduate student in the Nuclear Engineering & Engineering Physics department working under Prof. Paul Wilson. His research focuses on modeling economic interactions between elements of the nuclear fuel cycle to better understand the complex system dynamics that exist in a system with the unique constraints of nuclear supply. Dean received his …

Andrew Lindaas is a JD/MPA dual degree student at both the University of Wisconsin Law School and the La Follette School of Public Affairs. He received his BA in Political Science and Economics at the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire in 2023, focusing his undergraduate research on a wide range of legal and social …

Riley List is a J.D. candidate at the University of Wisconsin Law School. He is passionate about understanding the relationship between law, science, business, economics, and public policy in order to advance affordable, reliable, and clean energy. He received his B.A. in Organizational Studies and Sustainability from the University of Michigan in 2023. In previous …

Marco Alexei Marquez is pursuing a dual master’s degrees in Public Affairs through the La Follette School and in Urban Planning through the Department of Planning and Landscape Architecture. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from DePaul University in Chicago and minored in economics.  After graduating he began working as a grassroots climate …