ORONO — Ben Brooks, a University of Maine senior from Monmouth majoring in electrical engineering technology with a concentration in power engineering, has received one of 75 scholarships awarded to undergraduate students nationwide from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
According to their website, the IEEE Power & Energy Society awards the scholarship to undergraduate students majoring in electrical engineering who are high achievers with strong GPAs and distinctive extracurricular commitments who are committed to exploring the power and energy field.
Additionally, scholarship recipients become members of the IEEE, which helps to connect electrical engineers with the mission of “advancing technology for the benefit of humanity.”
Brooks plans to graduate from UMaine this spring, and will use the $2,000 scholarship to help pay for his final semester. He says the electrical engineering technology faculty have been formative to his success as an engineer at UMaine, particularly associate professors John Allen and Paul Villeneuve, and professor Jude Pearse.
“The faculty is extremely knowledgeable and truly cares and wants you to succeed,” Brooks said.
Brooks’ senior design project is creating a simulated hydroelectric generator facility, using a small scale hydro-electric generator to charge a 12V battery bank, with the voltage from the generator being measured and displayed on a screen. The DC voltage from the battery bank will be inverted to AC voltage to power a small water pump. Aside from engineering, Brooks enjoys spending time outdoors, playing basketball and attending UMaine football and hockey games.
