The UT Energy Symposium (UTES) is a weekly speaker series and 1-credit course that brings experts from academia, industry, government and non-profits to discuss pressing energy issues. The objective is to provide a platform for students and faculty from all disciplines to interact and learn about technological, policy and market aspects of the energy system. Speakers are highly accomplished in areas related to energy and drawn equally from various sectors. The course requirements include weekly discussions and research notes exploring topics discussed. The goal is to increase student enrollment and audience size while maintaining high quality speakers and maximizing student learning opportunities.

1. UT Energy Symposium (UTES)
Erik Funkhouser
Academic Counselors Association, 20 Mar 2013
University of Texas at Austin

2. Objective
• Weekly speaker series to provide a common platform for students
(and faculty) from all disciplines across the campus to interact on
the most pressing energy issues
• Every week an expert from industry, government, or academia
speaks about key technological, policy, regulatory, and market
aspects of the week’s topic, and how it relates to the future of the
global energy system
• Also, offered as a 1-credit course, open to all graduate and
undergraduate students
– LBJ School course
– By arrangement
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3. UTES Speakers
• UTES speakers are typically highly accomplished in one or more aspects of
the global energy system, and are drawn roughly equally from
academia, industry, non-profits, and think-tanks
• Academia
– UT, Stanford, Harvard, CMU, Rice, RIT, UCSD, U. Chicago
• Industry
– ConocoPhillips, NRG Energy, Foundation Capital, E3, GE, CPS Energy
• Non-profit
– National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Environmental Defense
Fund, Clean Air Task Force, California Center for Sustainable
Development, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
• Other
– World Bank, Railroad Commission, Scientific American, Pecan Street Inc
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4. Course Requirements
• Weekly discussions
– Brief, mandatory discussion on Blackboard following every talk
• Research notes
– 2 two-page write-ups (per semester) further exploring topics
discussed by UTES speakers
– Topics explored
• Fracking and Shale gas, Solar PV, Innovation in energy, CO2 impact
of wind, Role of natural gas, Sustainability, Geo-engineering, Coal
in China, Utility of the future, Energy Storage, Smart Grids…
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5. We Do Very Cool Things!
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6. Future Plans: Where UTES is Going
• Maintain the high quality of speakers
• Increase and diversify student enrollment
• Increase audience size
• Institution building
• Collaboration
• Maximize student rewards
“The opportunity to sit down with the chief executive of a major
utility allowed us to better understand how our studies and
research aligns with the issues currently in question within the
industry. Mr. Beneby clearly has a wealth of knowledge about how
the electricity industry operates and how investment decisions are
made. Understanding these facts is useful in guiding the direction
of student research. Mr. Beneby also showed great interest in our
work and our lives and had a wealth of personal wisdom to share.”
--UTES Student
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7. Value to Curriculum, Students
• A primer—get your feet wet
• Cross-Currents – Exploiting UT’s position
• Exposure to different pathways in energy and enviro careers
• Interdisciplinary
• Internships, applied research, networking
• Framing – Talking energy
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8. UTES Spring 2013 Course Information
• PA 188S, 62945
• Thu, 5:15-6:15pm, MEZES Hall 1.306
• Course Registration:
– http://www.utexas.edu/lbj/schedule/spring2013/3626
• List of Speakers:
– http://www.energy.utexas.edu/index.php?
option=com_content&view=article&id=35&Itemid=147
• Contacts:
– Prof. Varun Rai raivarun@gmail.com
– Erik Funkhouser <ejfunk10@gmail.com>
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