G. Ray Ekenstam Memorial Scholarship

Purpose
The IEEE PES G. Ray Ekenstam Memorial Scholarship, was established in 2009 in memory of G. Ray Ekenstam and his professional career in the fields of power engineering and industry applications. The Scholarship Fund awards, on an annual basis, a scholarship to a qualified undergraduate student who seeks an electrical engineering degree in the field of power or a related discipline, from an ABET accredited US university or college. The annual selection of scholarship recipients is administered by IEEE Power & Energy Society (PES).

Prize
The Scholarship Fund will be used to fund on an annual basis the following annual expenses: A maximum of US$5,000 for one student for school expenses (tuition, books, student fees) and IEEE Student Membership for twelve months for one student

Funding
A gift of US$100,000 from Elizabeth Moore was used to establish the G. Ray Ekenstam Memorial Scholarship Fund. The Scholarship Fund is administered by the IEEE Foundation.

Eligibility
The applicants must:

  • Be considering a career in electric power and energy engineering.
  • Be working toward an electrical engineering bachelor’s degree.
  • Be a full-time student at a U.S. university or college that offers undergraduate courses in power engineering.
  • Be willing to take at least three of the power engineering courses for a total of nine or more credits.
  • Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and reside in IEEE Regions 1 through 6.
  • Be currently enrolled full-time at a university/college or community college.
  • Have a current GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent)
  • Be an honorably discharged U.S. veteran

No relatives of current members of the IEEE Board of Directors, the IEEE-PES Governing Board, the IEEE-PES Awards and Recognition Committee, the G. Ray Ekenstam Memorial Scholarship Committee, or IEEE staff may be candidates or nominate or endorse candidates for this Scholarship. Eligibility and Selection process shall comply with procedures and regulations established in IEEE and society governing documents, in particular with IEEE Policy 4.4 on Awards Limitations.

Basis for Judging
Selection criteria will be based on evaluation of the following criteria: Evidence of maintaining a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, one referral letter from an individual who is qualified to evaluate the applicant’s academic accomplishments (e.g. professor, administrator, employer, internship organization).

Presentation
The Scholarship Fund, starting in 2013, shall provide annually, a travel stipend of up to $500 for the recipient to travel to and participate in the IEEE Power & Energy Society General Meeting. The recipient will be recognized during the PES General Meeting Faculty/Student/Industry Luncheon.

Recent Recipients:

  • 2018 Brian Malone, Cleveland State University
  • 2019 Bruce Yawn, Arizona State University
  • 2020 Isaac Forest, Arizona State University
  • 2021 Michael Farina, Arizona State University
  • 2022 Michael Farina, Arizona State University
  • 2023 Nathaniel Garcia, Florida International University

A complete list of past recipients is available.

Deadlines
Submissions must be submitted via the IEEE PES Scholarship Plus Initiative Program no later than 30 June to be considered for this year’s scholarship.

Selection of Recipient
Each IEEE PES Scholarship Plus Initiative Regional Review committee will forward recommended candidates to the G. Ray Ekenstam Memorial Scholarship Committee who will make the final selection.

The recipient will be announced by 1 December.