Electrical and computer engineering recognized two alumni and one current student with the 2025 Grainger Power Engineering Award during a ceremony on May 17. Supported by a $1.3 million endowment from The Grainger Foundation, the awards honor students who demonstrate exceptional promise in power engineering. Each recipient received $6,000 to support early career development in the power industry.

Morgan Taylor, a 2024 alumna, was honored for her dedication to renewable energy. She interned at Invenergy in Chicago and now works on substation design at POWER Engineers. Master’s student Sophia Strathman was recognized for academic and professional excellence, including research conducted under Dr. Jonathan Kimball and internships at Spire, Burns & McDonnell, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Jonathan Saelens, who earned a master’s degree in 2024, was recognized for his work in generator protective systems at Burns & McDonnell and his research on advanced power converters.

S&T is one of only six universities nationwide selected to receive Grainger Foundation funding for power engineering awards. The Grainger Foundation, based in Lake Forest, Illinois, was established in 1949 by William Wallace Grainger, founder of W.W. Grainger Inc.