The Ralph O’Connor Sustainable Energy Institute (ROSEI) hosted a luncheon on November 17 as part of the “Yes to Wind” national campaign to promote offshore wind energy in the US. Led by volunteers at Climate Action Rhode Island (CARI) and joined by allies up and down the East Coast, the Yes to Wind campaign is focused on getting more offshore wind projects connected to the grid, so that more communities can benefit from good-paying local jobs, healthier lives, and clean, reliable, homegrown energy. It runs from November 15-23.

Over 30 faculty, postdoctoral researchers, graduate and undergraduate students got together for lunch. Though mostly a social event, the group was given a prompt and discussed everyone’s “Yes to wind” moment that made them was to pursue a career in this field. Those that were moved to speak included faculty members with decades of experience in the field and leaders of the Academic Center for Reliability and Resilience of Offshore Wind (ARROW), graduate students that are at the outset of their careers, and undergraduate students that are new members of the Hopkins Student Wind Energy Team.

“It has been a difficult period for the wind energy field recently, but I was really encouraged by how many people came to the luncheon, and how diverse the group was,” said Ben Schafer, ROSEI’s director. “I was blown away by the different creative approaches everyone is taking to furthering wind science, engineering, and policy and all the different expertise people bring to the discussion. It was just so affirming to see everyone from undergrads to full professors say yes to wind, and I came away feeling that the field is in fantastic hands moving forward, especially at Hopkins.”