Behind the Blades Series
Meet the staff propelling NREL's wind energy research and development.
Suzanne MacDonald Champions Community Solutions for a Brighter Future
Meet Suzanne MacDonald, a hockey mom, clean energy advocate, and stakeholder engagement expert at NREL who blends a passion for community-driven solutions with a love for the game.
How Paula Pérez Engineers Equitable Wind Energy Solutions
With an early passion for math, physics, and engineering, NREL researcher Paula Pérez first started using her technical skills to address social challenges in her home country of Colombia, where she worked with indigenous communities facing water scarcity.
How Jeremy Stefek Delivers Wind Energy Workforce Solutions To Meet Growing Industry Needs
Learn how Jeremy Stefek is working to understand the needs of the growing wind energy industry, raise awareness of wind energy career opportunities, and develop training programs that ensure a skilled workforce is ready to meet future demands.
Future Wind Energy Leaders Earn Their Stripes as NREL Interns
NREL’s National Wind Technology Center hosted 36 interns for the summer. The Leading Edge caught up with six of those interns to learn about their work, achievements, and hopes for the future.
Cory Frontin Finds His Rhythm in Renewable Energy
When Cory Frontin, NREL mechanical engineering researcher, isn’t developing simulation methods for wind and renewable energy, he likes to do “typical outdoorsy Colorado things” like rock climbing. He also likes to play jazz guitar.
How Lanaia Carveth Keeps the Gears Turning
Lanaia Carveth transitioned from a career as a consultant in the construction industry doing environmental planning, permitting, regulatory compliance, and project management to her current role as a project manager at NREL’s National Wind Technology Center (NWTC).
How Jason Roadman’s Daily Commute Inspired a New Career Path
Jason Roadman's interest in wind turbines began during his daily commute past the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Flatirons Campus. This curiosity, coupled with a desire to use his aerospace engineering skills to make a positive impact, led him to a career at NREL.
How Cris Hein Helps Bats and Wind Turbines Share the Sky
Armed with a Ph.D. in bat studies, NREL’s lead environmental scientist Cris Hein helps bats—and other wildlife—share the skies with wind turbines.
Amy Robertson Takes On the Complexities of Floating Offshore Wind
As a child immersed in the science of NASA, Amy Robertson was bound to end up an engineer—an aerospace engineer, to be exact. At NREL, she’s traded in her love of the cosmos for the delightfully challenging dynamics of floating offshore wind energy.
How Angel McCoy's Background in Meteorology Propels Offshore Wind Forward
Angel McCoy started her career as a meteorologist, which put her on the path that led to her current role at NREL supporting the regulatory process for offshore wind energy in the United States.
Why Genevieve Starke Gave Up on Her Childhood Dream Job
As a kid, Genevieve Starke dreamt of becoming a con artist. Naturally, the little girl from Pennsylvania decided to pivot her dream to a field where rule-following was a little more appreciated. She picked engineering.
Vahan Gevorgian’s Three-Decade Clean Energy Odyssey
Twenty-nine years ago, Vahan Gevorgian was a post-doctoral researcher studying wind and hybrid energy systems at the State Engineering University of Armenia when a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity presented itself.
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