Clean Energy and Environment Legacy Transition Initiative makes fellowship program possible
Image by Courtesy
Office of Energy Transformation fellows are contributing directly to the office's key initiatives. From left, OET Deputy Executive Director Katherine O'Malley, UMass Lowell student Salma Ngokila, Northeastern University student Samantha Jackson, Boston University student Catherine Keane, OET Executive Director Melissa Lavinson, UMass Boston student Soon Kyu Kwon and UMass Lowell student Colin Ormond.
03/26/2025
Media Contacts: Brooke Coupal, communications, economic impact and research development specialist, (email: Brooke_Coupal@uml.edu), and Nancy Cicco, assistant director of media relations, (email: Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu).
What do a group of local college students studying science, politics, business and health all have in common? They’re working toward a sustainable future.
In February, the Office of Energy Transformation (OET) within the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs welcomed five students from diverse backgrounds to a 12-month paid fellowship program. The program is part of the Clean Energy and Environment Legacy Transition (CELT) Initiative, a significant development resulting from Governor Maura Healey’s trip to Ireland in 2023. Inspired by the Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Research Centre for Energy, Climate, and Marine (MaREI) model, the Healey-Driscoll Administration collaborated with UMass Lowell and Boston University to establish a similar program to advance the clean energy transition, aid cities and towns in their decarbonization efforts and foster geothermal workforce development.
“We have a big task ahead of us in the Office of Energy Transformation, and the fellows from the CELT program are going to be crucial in helping with the work needed to get us there,” said OET Executive Director Melissa Lavinson. “These are highly driven students who are eager to learn and make a difference in our state.”
The OET fellows from UMass Lowell, Boston University, UMass Boston and Northeastern University are contributing directly to OET’s key initiatives: decarbonizing how the state meets peak electric demand, financing the energy transition, enabling sustainable economic development and transitioning away from reliance on the Everett Marine Terminal, one of the longest-operating liquefied natural gas facilities in the United States. The students are also assisting with research for the Commission on Fossil Fuel Workforce, which measures and monitors the impacts of the transition to clean energy on fossil fuel workers and industries while examining ways to increase access to employment, training and workforce opportunities in clean energy. OET and the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development co-chair the commission.
“The Office of Energy Transformation Fellowship program provides students with invaluable hands-on experience in shaping the future of clean energy,” said UMass Lowell Chancellor Julie Chen, who serves on the Energy Transformation Advisory Board. “By working directly on key projects, the students gain practical skills, industry connections and a deeper understanding of the policies and technologies driving the energy transition.”
Colin Ormond, a junior studying political science with a concentration in environmental politics and sustainability at UMass Lowell, said he’s excited to see what he will accomplish as an OET fellow.
“This is an amazing opportunity – one that I didn’t imagine getting as an undergrad,” the Melrose, Massachusetts resident added. “I’m getting my foot in the door and understanding what it’s like working in this field.”
In addition to Ormond, OET fellows include Salma Ngokila, an applied biomedical science first-year student at UMass Lowell from Medford, Massachusetts; Samantha Jackson, an environmental science and policy graduate student at Northeastern University from Albuquerque, New Mexico; Catherine Keane, a political science senior at Boston University from Philadelphia; and Soon Kyu Kwon, a Master of Business Administration student at UMass Boston from South Korea.
“All of us are from different backgrounds, and we’re working together toward one common goal – creating a greener Massachusetts,” Ngokila said. “I enjoy being part of a team that’s generating change in the energy sector.”
In addition to the OET Fellowship, CELT is launching a six-month paid Municipal Fellowship this summer. The Municipal Fellowship program, overseen by Municipal Fellows Cohort Coordinator Devon Milisci, gives students the opportunity to assist local cities and towns with clean energy planning and project implementation.
OET is hosting a community meeting on March 31 at 5 p.m. in Lowell to discuss its mission with area residents. The meeting will take place in Coburn Hall, a UMass Lowell academic building located at 850 Broadway St. This will be the first in a series of community engagement meetings throughout the state.