The IEEE PES Scholarship Plus Initiative is funded by organizations that wish to support the next generation of power and energy engineers. Their contributions help provide educational funding, one year of IEEE PES membership, and networking opportunities for the annual class of PES Scholars.
Burns & McDonnell’s commitment to benefiting PES Scholars comes in more forms than just financial backing. Burns & McDonnell partners with Scholarship Plus to connect with our PES Scholars, offering information sessions on careers and internships. They also attend our annual General Meeting and participate in the event’s career fair, another avenue to provide PES-engaged students with opportunities.
“Burns & McDonnell has always been very heavily involved in the PES Scholarship Plus Initiative – from promoting the scholarship to students at the universities we visit, to participating in PES activities and attending conferences. Employees within our company mentor Scholars, and we promote the initiative internally to our own candidates and intern hires as well. As a recruiter, when I’m looking at a candidate and I see that they have an IEEE PES Scholarship listed on their resume, I know that they are coming to the job with good grades and relevant experience in the power industry. These qualifications differentiate them from other candidates, and that means that the PES Scholarship Plus Initiative helps us to identify a candidate that stands out from the rest,” noted Matt Rosentreter, Burns & McDonnell recruiter.
Christian Winingar, PES Scholar Class of 2023, has used his scholarship benefits to the fullest. We are proud to support his journey from student to young professional, and we hope to provide the same value to all our PES Scholars.
While in school, Christian studied electrical engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology. During his time there, he was active in IEEE, PES, and IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu. The year he received his scholarship, he commented on how it helped guide him to his passion: power and energy.
“The IEEE PES Scholarship helped me pay for my college education and encouraged me to pursue the power industry. Due to the scholarship, I took a position in the transmission and distribution industry and found my passion in electrical engineering. Additionally, the scholarship encouraged me to become more involved in IEEE PES, where I attended the IEEE PES 2023 General Meeting in Orlando and was able to learn more about current industry topics.”
Now a young professional, Christian reflects on the networking opportunities that came with being a PES Scholar.
“Receiving the Scholarship Plus and becoming involved with IEEE PES was one of the best decisions I made during my undergraduate career. The network and community within the IEEE Power & Energy Society connected me with amazing mentors such as John McDonald and helped me find areas within power and energy that I am passionate about. This helped me identify my current position and passion at Burns & McDonnell.”
At Burns & McDonnell, Christian works as a Distribution Engineer in the Distribution Modernization department.
“On the Distribution Modernization team, I have had the opportunity to work on several different projects for many of our clients. From new designs and capturing costs for capital expansion projects for distribution line extensions or reconductoring, to architecting and deploying enterprise and grid-edge DERMS, Burns & McDonnell has given me a wide variety of opportunities. What I appreciate most about working here is the company’s investment in its people, fostering an environment of professional and technical excellence. Burns & McDonnell is also committed to moving the entire industry forward through strong relationships with professional societies and partners, such as IEEE PES, keeping us at the forefront of innovation.”
The IEEE PES Scholarship Plus Initiative thanks Burns & McDonnell and our donors for their continued contributions. With their help, the program can invest in the next generation of power engineers.