Students from near and far have joined the University of Calgary to become part of the new Energy Science major that launched this fall.
The program, preparing undergraduate students for an evolving energy industry, offers a strong foundation in all forms of energy from conventional oil and gas, nuclear, and hydropower to hydrogen, biofuels, wind and solar.
"Calgary is the energy centre of Canada," says Daniel Smelsky, who moved to the city from Ottawa to take his BSc in Energy Science. His interests include space, nuclear, renewables and fossil fuels.
Students will have direct access to experts working on the most pressing energy challenges and the most promising energy opportunities at UCalgary, which is one of the top research universities in the heart of the national energy industry.
Dr. Edwin Cey, PhD, head of the Department of Earth, Energy and Environment in the Faculty of Science, says the program was developed in consultation with industry, which was looking for students with a broader background no matter the sector.
Students have joined the program from across the country, with many from Calgary and southern Alberta.
"One of the (local) students I spoke to said: I've been waiting for this program my whole life,'" Cey recalls. "There's a lot of energy for the new energy science program."
First-year student Victoria Duffy, who's from Calgary, says she's excited for the program.
"The energy industry is really important, especially for our future, and I wanted to be a part of that," she says. "I know a lot about the oil and gas sector, growing up in Alberta, and I'm here to learn more about all the sources of energy."
Other students want to focus on geothermal and renewables.
"I was going to go into environmental science and then I heard about the energy science program and thought, that is really, really cool,'" says Alexis Wartman of Chestermere, Alta. "I personally like the renewable energy. It's up and coming and I think saving the planet is kind of important."
She'd like to focus on being more sustainable. "Our energy is one really big way to get to that goal," says Wartman.
The Energy Science program is believed to be the first undergraduate BSc program that specifically addresses energy science. It will focus on understanding fundamental scientific principles and offer some transdisciplinary training in Indigenous studies, economics, policy and science communication.
Students will come out of the program with a wide variety of knowledge and skills.
"The program creates a platform for them to go in whatever direction that they choose," explains Cey. "Maybe they love geothermal and that's the direction they want to go. Or, they could be much broader, so we could see energy analysts or business analysts.
"Someone might want to pursue a law degree after this, so it creates a very broad platform for them to catapult the rest of their career."
There are 30 students in the first cohort of the new degree program though the hope is to grow in the coming years.
"It's very clear that the student demand is there," he says.
Cey says he's also hearing from industry officials across the country as word spreads about the program.
"On the day it was announced, I got a LinkedIn message from (an energy executive) in Ontario saying, So excited for your new program, let us know when your grads are going to be available.'"
