UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Joy Adul, a graduate student in the John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering at Penn State, was one of 20 students selected to receive a scholarship from the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Scholarship Programme. The IPCC is the leading international body for assessing climate change.
The aim of the Scholarship Programme is to “provide scholarships for Ph.D. students from developing countries for research that advances the understanding of the scientific basis of risks of climate change, its potential impacts, and options for adaptation and mitigation.”
“It was so exciting to find out that I received the scholarship,” said Adul, “I just felt so emboldened like I was being told ‘You're going in the right direction, and we are all behind you.’ It’s encouraging to know I have this support because it’s the people who are most affected by climate change — the voices from the most vulnerable communities — that need to be a part of the energy transition conversation.”
Growing up in Kenya, Adul saw the effects of energy poverty every day, from routine blackouts in the city to visiting her grandmother, who did not have access to electricity. Increased flooding due to climate change, she said, caused her to realize the connection between climate change and energy poverty. She then shifted her focus to studying energy as she saw a real need for professionals working towards a more sustainable future.
“In Africa, you see energy poverty, and you think that’s just the way it is,” said Adul. “When I realized it doesn't have to be that way, it was really clear that I wanted to study energy. That’s why I’m so grateful that the IPCC is helping to empower professionals who understand the struggles of climate change so they can lead the technology advancements in the right way.”
The scholarship will help Adul develop a machine-learning-based model that could predict how renewable energy generation is impacted by climate change across the United States and Kenya. According to Adul, renewable energy generation, such as solar, wind, and hydroelectricity, is more dependent on climate and, therefore, more sensitive to changes.
Her research has the potential to help policymakers and regional stakeholders determine the long-term viability of building new renewable energy infrastructure, she said. The model will aim to characterize the climate sensitivity of each renewable energy source and predict future demand by leveraging data from government agencies and energy companies across the United States and Africa. The data will then be evaluated and compared with various machine learning algorithms before a final model is selected. Though the climate and energy infrastructure are vastly different between the U.S. and Kenya, the data she compiles potentially will lead to a more accurate predictive model. Adul said she believes the model could then be applied to other regions, such as China or Europe, as long there is access to the correct data inputs.
For Adul, this type of research is only made possible by utilizing machine learning, she said.
“Studying climate change through energy modeling requires a lot of data,” said Adul. “I'm including data from solar, wind and hydro for the whole U.S. and Africa in my model — traditional data managers cannot handle all this data. Machine learning improves efficiency and prediction in modeling.”
Renee Obringer, assistant professor of energy and mineral engineering and Adul’s adviser, has seen Adul’s growth while working in her lab using machine learning to improve modeling capabilities and explore new relationships between critical infrastructure, such as energy systems, and the climate.
“Joy is new to the machine learning world,” said Obringer. “This willingness to learn an important and increasingly in-demand skill speaks to her resilience and desire to learn on her path to creating new knowledge. This scholarship recognizes Joy’s commitment to working towards climate change mitigation in a way that is equitable and sustainable. In particular, her passion for developing a better understanding of renewable energy stems from her experiences growing up in Kenya, and her recognition that to truly mitigate the climate crisis, we need to emphasize solutions that work for everyone, particularly the most vulnerable. It also speaks to the value of education she is getting through Penn State and the department, which has encouraged her to think broadly about critical questions.”
Adul said she does not envy those who must design policies amid a climate crisis but hopes her research will provide another perspective to help them choose the solutions that could also alleviate energy poverty and inequality.
“Climate change is a global issue,” said Adul. “How it will affect the United States and how it will affect Kenya may be different to an extent, but both will have to be prepared for the changes it brings. When I see the diverse voices coming together to enhance, to enrich, these conversations I'm excited to see what the future holds.”
Adul will be recognized on Nov. 8 at the 17th Planetary Health Award Ceremony hosted by Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation in Monte-Carlo, Monaco.
Adul is also an EESI Environmental Scholar. She earned her bachelor’s degree in chemical and process engineering from Moi University in Kenya and her master’s degree in sustainable energy from the University of Glasgow in Scotland. Before coming to Penn State in 2022 to pursue a doctorate, her career included 10 years of industrial experience in the energy sector, with a focus on renewables.
The IPCC Scholarship Programme is supported by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and the Cuomo Foundation.