2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Emerging technological and societal trends are driving rapid and large-scale growth in global energy demand. For example, the expansion of artificial intelligence and cloud computing has prompted projections that global data-center electricity use will more than double by 2030. At the same time, transportation and building electrification is expected to significantly raise electricity consumption. In addition, international climate goals highlight the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions from energy systems. Together, these developments point to a growing need for educational models that prepare students to solve complex, interdisciplinary energy challenges.

The Integrated Science and Technology (ISAT) at JMU program has long emphasized interdisciplinary, problem-driven learning. It combines core scientific knowledge with technological, computational, and systems-thinking skills. Building on this foundation, the ISAT Energy concentration has been redesigned to deliver a coherent and integrated seven-course sequence that builds student learning across breadth, depth, and practical application.

During the third(junior) year, students take three sector courses. Energy Technologies and Applications provides systems-level literacy on how key energy technologies operate in real-world contexts. Instrumentation and Measurement in Energy offers hands-on experimental and measurement experiences. Energy Transitions explores the broader social, economic, and political contexts of energy systems. These courses collectively develop foundational literacy in technologies and global energy issues.

In the fourth(senior) year, students engage in four concentration-specific courses. Applied Thermodynamics in Energy Systems deepens scientific understanding of energy conversion principles. Energy Economics and Policy explores the intersection of technology, market dynamics, and governance frameworks. Sustainable Energy Development examines renewable energy, nuclear energy, energy storage, and system integration strategies. Finally, in Energy Efficiency and Management, students perform energy audits, benchmarking, and demand-side management to design efficiency strategies for real-world systems.

Taken together, this sequence provides a comprehensive, interdisciplinary foundation that prepares students for leadership roles in energy sectors. A formal Energy Academic Team meets regularly to coordinate course content, ensure curricular coherence, and align outcomes with evolving industry and societal needs. Student feedback and project outcomes are being collected and used to refine the sequence.
Initial student responses have been encouraging, showing increased engagement and improved integration of technical and contextual knowledge. This work-in-progress offers a transferable framework that other institutions can adapt to meet their own energy education goals. Future work will formalize outcome assessments, deepen student feedback integration, and share lessons learned with the broader engineering education community.