Every year, the California Institute for Energy & Environment selects a recipient for the Art Rosenfeld Award for Energy Efficiency, a research award presented to a graduate student working on technologies and policies that will enable a more resource-efficient society. Every so often, we like to check in with past recipients of the award, and see how they were able to utilize the resources provided by the Art Rosenfeld Award to make an impact in both their own research as well as the world at large. Recently, we were able to receive an update from Samantha Hing, the 2020 Art Rosenfeld Award winner, who had this to say:
“I am extremely grateful and honored to have received the Art Rosenfeld Award for Energy Efficiency last year. The award came at critical stage in my research that filled a funding gap and supported me during the summer of 2020. While my initial plan was to spend the summer in India carrying out field work for my project on energy-efficient cookstoves, the COVID-19 pandemic prevented that. Like the rest of the world, I did my best to adjust to the changing circumstances. Thankfully, with the Art Rosenfeld Award, I was still supported which provided a huge relief during such uncertain times.
I was able to focus my energy on remote dissertation work and necessary lab research—when it was allowed—related to measuring the emissions and fuel efficiency of both the traditional Indian cookstove and the energy-efficient cookstove developed at Berkeley. I was also eventually able to support the field work remotely when it was allowable at the end of 2020 and early 2021. Thankfully, my partners in India were able to wrap up the field work for this project successfully and safely. Currently, I am in the process of analyzing the newly collected data, for which I plan to publish the results later this year.
This last year has highlighted the need for supporting the most vulnerable, low-resource communities around the world, especially in the face of difficult, uncertain times. I am even more motivated now, with a heightened sense of urgency, to continue research that supports building resilient communities and brings widespread, positive social impact. The Art Rosenfeld Award allowed me to solely focus on these goals that I am passionate about, without worrying about funding. I am excited to contribute to the growing knowledge about the adoption of energy-efficient technologies in low-resource communities. This last year has solidified my passion for pursuing a career in energy efficiency that addresses issues faced by the most vulnerable populations.”
We are encouraged by Samantha’s continued dedication to her research in the face of uncertainty and look forward to sharing any publications when available!
Read more about the Rosenfeld Award on the Graduate Student Division website
