“Energy has been front-page news throughout my career, with ever-present challenges in energy supply now augmented by grand challenges in climate change and plastics waste,” says renowned chemical engineer Dr Joe Powell, founding executive director of the University of Houston's Energy Transition Institute (ETI), which opened in 2022 with a $10 million gift from Shell. 

Powell took on the executive director role at the new institute early in 2023, having retired as chief scientist of chemical engineering for Shell after more than 32 years. “The next generation will be the ones who solve these challenges and it’s exciting to be at the University of Houston (UH), sharing collective knowledge and experience, helping students make the connections and getting them grounded in the fundamentals of energy systems. Students bring a lot of energy and creativity and want to make a difference.”

In August 2023, the Baker Hughes Foundation announced a $100,000 gift to the ETI to support the University of Houston’s energy research and workforce development programs. “We’re very grateful to the Baker Hughes Foundation for this gift, which will fund much needed student scholarships,” says Powell.

UH’s Energy Scholars Program provides undergraduate students the opportunity to participate in research programs focused on the Energy Institute’s three key pillars: carbon management, hydrogen and circular plastics. “Our university is embedded in one of the most diverse cities in the U.S.,” says Powell. “It’s a tremendous opportunity to help educate students from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds and empower them to be an integral part of the future energy economy. Research exposure as an undergraduate compelled me to go on to graduate school to obtain the training needed to actively help resolve the energy crisis of the 1970’s. It was truly inspirational!”  

Powell says developing a skilled and knowledgeable workforce to support the energy transition is a critical part of the ETI’s mission. “We really want to get the next generation of students to strongly consider energy careers,” he says. “You’re always competing for the hearts and minds of the best and most energetic students to consider careers that can make a difference to society.”