The Women in Power System Transformation (Women in PST) Initiative and the Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transition (GWNET) have launched a joint mentorship program to amplify the voices of women in energy and create a platform to enhance women’s participation and leadership in the transformation and decarbonization of power systems around the world. On this page, we are excited to present the inaugural cohort of mentees, a diverse group of 20 participants hailing from Africa, Asia, and North and South America, with a range of interests and areas of expertise.
The Women in PST initiative is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented through the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the Global Power System Transformation (G-PST) Consortium. Its goal is to expand leadership and technical training opportunities for women in the power sector.
Selected mentees
- Adedoyin Inaolaji, Assistant Professor, University at Buffalo
- Amelia Vakataleibau Sowani, Graduate Electrical Engineer, Energy Fiji Limited
- Bushra Rahman, Research Assistant, Independent University, Bangladesh
- Cecilia Doyle, Graduate Student, Johns Hopkins University
- Chandinee Chandrasekaran, Graduate Student, University of Colorado
- Emilly Atieno Olewe, Part time Instructor, Masinde Muliro University
- Jahnavi Nadipi, Markets Strategy Engineer – Commercial, Plus Power
- Kiran Siraj, Post Doc Fellow/Senior Consultant, LUMS Lahore/USAID PSIA
- Mahitha Pillodi, Graduate Research Intern, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
- Malebusa Makhetha, MSc Sustainable Energy student, National University of Lesotho
- Manisha Rauniyar, Engineer/Scientist, Electric Power Research Institute
- Mayuri Roy Choudhury, Teaching Associate, Arizona State University
- Nancy Cai Wu, Field Engineer, Vestas
- Natalia Zilfa Hasanita, Officer engineer, PLN Indonesia
- Natasha Justina Kumwenda, Energy Trader, ZESCO
- Rosamma Thomas, Research Scholar, Cochin University of Science and Technology
- Salma Bennai, PhD student, ENIT Tunisia and intern, NREL
- Selasi Gedjah, Assistant Project Officer for improved cookstove distribution project, Ministry of Energy Ghana
- Tetiana Mushynska, Director, Irshanska SES LLC
- Yasmin de Moraes Ramírez, Research Assistant, Fraunhofer ISE
Participating mentors
To assist the mentees on their journey, we are fortunate to have an excellent group of mentors, all senior professionals who are dedicated to making a meaningful difference and fostering positive impacts on the careers of younger women in power system transformation. We are delighted and honoured to have their support.
- Alex Pollock, Manager, Network Planning & Applications, AMSC
- Barbara Fischer-Aupperle, Founding Partner, GWNET
- Dudu Hadebe, Corporate Specialist, Grid Planning, Eskom
- Genevieve Lietz, Lead Engineer – Power System Modelling, Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO)
- Golbon Zakeri, Professor of Operations Research, University of Massachusetts Amherst
- Jarrad Wright, Senior Researcher, NREL
- Jhi-Young Joo, Engineer – Distribution Automation Lead, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
- Lina Ramirez, Research IV, NREL
- Maitreyi Karthik, Deputy Programme Manager, Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi
- Marcelina Elzbieta Golebiewska, Independent Energy Expert
- Maria Jarolin, Head of Internal Think Tank ‘System of the Future’, Elia
- Mosimanegape Mhaladi, Energy Consultant, TM Energy Engineering Contractors
- Noel Haynes, Managing Director, InvestinGreen.Energy
- Rachel Porto, Global Head of Health, Safety, Sustainability and Quality, Corio Generation
- Reena Suri, Executive Director, India Smart Grid Forum
- Silvana Ovaitt, Researcher, Bifacial PV Analyst, NREL
- Sunetra Chowdhury, Sasol-NRF Research Chair in Energy and Power Systems Modelling, University of Cape Town
- Syofvi Felienty Roekman, Director of Human Capital and Management, PT PLN
- Syukri M Nur, Lecturer, Darma Persada University
- Thushara De Silva, Research Engineer (Grid Planning and Analysis Center), NREL
