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Faculty profile: NREL-affiliated professor with a passion for teaching the next generation

Bri-Mathias Hodge

Tell us a little bit about your professional background.

I received my Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering in 2004 from Carnegie Mellon University. In 2005, I received my Master of Science in chemical engineering from Abo Akademi University in Finland. I received my Doctor of Philosophy in chemical engineering from Purdue University in 2010. I have been doing research on power systems for approximately 15 years. I have been at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory for 12 years and in a joint appointment at CU Boulder for the past five years. My research is on power and energy systems modeling and simulation, at both planning and operations timescales.

What courses do you teach in the next generation power and energy systems professional master’s program?

I usually teach ECEN 5407 Renewable Energy and the Future Grid, which is sort of an introduction to the program, in the fall semester. In the spring semester, I am currently teaching ECEN 5427 Power Systems Planning and Operations.

What’s your favorite part about teaching these classes?

My favorite part is being able to explain to students how the energy transition is proceeding, using specific examples from real-world utilities that I have worked with.

What are some of the specific skills you teach that are important in industry?

The program teaches myriad technical skills in the power systems domain, but also gives students hands-on experience with different industry tools, as well as teaching written and oral communications in the power field.

What impact do you hope your students have in this industry or world?

Our students are going out and getting jobs at the companies that are leading the energy transition to a clear power grid. They're going to be the ones deploying these technologies at enormous scale over the coming decades. It will be because of them that we will eventually get to a carbon-free power system.