Sean Kaylor, a materials engineering graduate student, was selected this spring from a highly competitive pool from around the country as a Sustainable Energy Fellow.

The year-long fellowship process began last spring at a program to explore technologies, policies and economics of sustainable energy at Duke University and led to Shanghai, China, where Sean and MATE senior Ann Huang brainstormed possible sustainable engineering projects as part of a multidisciplinary student team.

The Sustainable Energy Fellowship was designed by researchers from Arizona State, Cornell, Duke, MIT, and the University of Michigan to address the global need for the use of energy reduction designs supplemented by renewable energy technologies.

Jay Golden, co-director of the Sustainable Energy Fellowship program states: "This is a great venue to expose some of the nation's most talented students to sustainability and sustainable engineering research. We also have the opportunity to interact and position our Fellows with some of the leading industrialists, politicians and thought leaders in energy, sustainability and climate change."

Wasting no time, Sean contributed his enhanced expertise in state-of-the-art sustainable engineering to the project to transform the island of Chongming, adjacent to Shanghai, to an "eco island."

From left to right: Nancy Cole (City Regional Planning), Chad Worth (IME), Eric Veium (IME), Albert Gu, Sarah Shotwell (History), Ann Huang, and Sean Kaylor.

Collaborating with Chinese students from Tongji University, Sean, Ann, and other members of the Cal Poly team visited the local national park to witness China's newly form eco-tourism industry, and toured wind, solar, and biogas facilities. Ultimately, Chongming will showcase alternative energy solutions, sustainable community housing, and mass transportation systems.

Cal Poly students engaged in sustainable engineering will have more opportunities for hands-on field research on Chongming Island next summer.