CAROLINE PALMER
Regulatory Manager
Strategen Consulting, Sacramento, California

_{2015-2016 Fulbright U.S. Student Program to Greece.  Hosts: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki / Elliniki Etairia - Society for the Environment and Cultural Heritage}

Energy studies encompass a wide range of roles across the energy sector. Policymakers, regulators, engineers, businesspeople, lawyers, economists, and more, all shape the energy system and must study energy to do so.

Energy is a complex and essential industry, providing heat and electricity for our homes and offices, gasoline for our cars and boats, fuel for manufacturing and industrial processes, and much more. It is possible to make a significant impact on the world’s energy systems by studying a range of subjects and applying them intentionally to the energy field. Universities often have classes that allow students to apply their field of expertise to the energy industry. For example, an engineering student could learn the chemical processes for making clean fuel out of animal or plant waste; a business student could learn how create a financial model for commercializing the engineer’s clean fuel invention; and a policy student could learn how to implement laws to ensure the use of the clean fuel on a nationwide scale. At the undergraduate level, it may be best for a student to try to identify their preferred academic discipline and learn the basics of that specialty while taking a few classes in energy. At the graduate level, the student can further specialize within the energy field, while connecting with peers and job opportunities related to their specialization.

 ^{_{Photo Credit: Jason Blackeye for Unsplash}}