Dublin, OH
Boston, MA
June 23, 2021
Edison Plugged In: International Women in Engineering Day
June 23 is International Women in Engineering Day – a day dedicated to recognizing the careers and achievements of female engineers around the world. To celebrate, we will be featuring several of our team members at Edison Energy. These accomplished women have experience and expertise spanning all branches of engineering, from chemical to environmental, and work across various teams at Edison. We are proud and honored to work alongside such talented individuals.
Learn more about each team member by clicking the links below:
Ann Linn – Senior Analyst, Procurement
Grace Junge – Senior Project Engineer
Kerylyn Goldwyn – Project Engineer
McKenzie Fowler – Senior Data Scientist, Market Insights and Analysis
Meghan Weinman – Director, Transportation Electrification
Natalie Csinsi – Project Engineer
Sarah Royster – Director, Client Services, Renewable Energy Advisory
Thelma Arceo – Senior Project Manager
Velisa Li – Analyst, Renewables Supply
Ann Linn – Senior Analyst, Procurement
Dublin, OH
What is your engineering discipline and/or background in engineering?
I hold a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University.
What is your role at Edison Energy?
I administer the natural gas RFPs for our clients. I work closely with suppliers and our Energy Managers analyzing offers and putting them into an “apples to apples” comparison that our managers may review with clients. Last year I worked with our IT Group to help develop and implement the RFP portion of the Edison Insights portal which is now our tool to communicate with suppliers.
Tell us what engineering means to you:
As a child, I always enjoyed math and solving problems. My Dad is an engineer and he can fix ANYTHING so I thought that I should get a technical degree too. At Purdue I learned how to think outside of the box and how important it is to collaborate with others to complete projects and solve problems.
What’s the next item on your bucket list?
My husband and I are going to hike in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park this summer. It is the largest U.S. national park and I’m so excited for the opportunity to experience the mountains, rivers, glaciers, and wildlife there.
Grace Junge – Senior Project Engineer
Chicago, IL
What is your engineering discipline and/or background in engineering?
My degree is in mechanical engineering. I chose that field because it aligned best with my desire to work in sustainable energy/energy efficiency.
What is your role at Edison Energy?
At Edison Energy, I work on our Energy Optimization team. We focus on projects that help our customers reduce the energy consumption in their facilities. Some of our most exciting work is helping customers create energy roadmaps to meet their carbon emissions reduction/sustainability goals – so all those “save X% by X year” goals you hear about from corporations, universities, etc. – we help them design science-based strategies to get there. That requires us to work cross-functionally with other teams at Edison to craft wholistic solutions that balance reducing energy consumption with procuring renewable energy supply and finding financial mechanisms to make it all happen.
Beyond the engineering work, I lead and contribute to many other efforts at Edison, including our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Taskforce; our internal and external professional development training series’; developing our calculation tools and file templates… and probably a few other things I’m forgetting right now. Certainly keeps me busy!
Tell us what engineering means to you:
I grew up in a family of (male) engineers and never really gave the field much thought until I was a young adult when I spent some time on an off-the-grid sustainable farm in Costa Rica. There was an engineer living there who told us about the systems they used to live off the grid – an anaerobic digester for the toilet waste that supplied cooking gas; a rainwater capture and gravity supply system to provide drinking water, a solar thermal system for water heating, and of course a solar PV system to provide electricity. It really sparked an interest in me, as it connected something I cared about (sustainability) with my natural skillsets (math and science), and led me to pursue a degree and then a career in the energy engineering field.
What is the most recent song you had on repeat?
It’s a toss-up between It’s Love (Jill Scott) and Sorry (Beyoncé).
Kerylyn Goldwyn – Project Engineer
Portland, OR
What is your engineering discipline and/or background in engineering?
I have a Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering (University of Washington), and two Master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering, one in Controls and Dynamics (Santa Clara University), the second in Energy and Environment (University of Colorado).
What is your role at Edison Energy?
I am a Project Engineer.
Tell us what engineering means to you:
From a young age, I wanted to be an astronaut that designed, built, and piloted her own rocket, and then performed all the science experiments in space. I loved science, math, and tinkering with things and as I got older I became more focused and saw engineering as a path toward a fulfilling career where I could still do all the things I had loved while growing up. After working in the Aerospace industry for a while I decided I wanted to use my skills to make more of an impact in our society and found energy engineering. I’m excited that what I do helps clients find solutions to reduce energy usage and carbon emissions and directly impacts our fight against global climate change.
Share an interesting fact about yourself.
I am an enrolled member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation in western Montana.
McKenzie Fowler – Senior Data Scientist, Market Insights and Analysis
Boston, MA
What is your engineering discipline and/or background in engineering?
I received my Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts Lowell. I then went on to earn my Master of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Victoria. My research in grad school was focused on power system modeling and energy system analysis and I’ve been in the field ever since.
What is your role at Edison Energy?
At Edison Energy, I’m a member of the Market Insights and Analysis team. My focus is on building up our electricity market modeling capabilities which will allow us to have a glimpse of what the future of electricity markets may look like in North America. Ultimately my goal is to help our clients have a better understanding of what the opportunities are for their company to participate in the energy transition.
Tell us what engineering means to you:
Being an engineer, especially an engineer in the energy field, allows me the opportunity to continuously learn and problem solve throughout the course of my career. The energy industry is at the cusp of a massive transformation to a decarbonized future. I’m energized by the idea that my work will help us examine potential pathways to the implementation of a low carbon energy system. Working at Edison Energy means that my analysis will help us move closer to this new future. Being able to see my work illicit real change is such a rewarding experience.
What is the most recent song you had on repeat?
Not quite a song but I’ve been obsessed with podcasts during the pandemic – I’m constantly listening to Stuff You Should Know.
Meghan Weinman – Director, Transportation Electrification
Seattle, WA
What is your engineering discipline and/or background in engineering?
Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering and a Master of Science, Environmental Engineering.
What is your role at Edison Energy?
I’m the Director of Transportation Electrification – which means all-things electric vehicles (EVs). I lead the team that advises organizations as they consider EVs and charging for their fleets and business operations.
Tell us what engineering means to you:
I am a problem solver and a systems-thinker, and being an engineer gave me amazing tools to put that into practice. Plus, I have always been motivated by protecting the environment, and Civil & Environmental engineering gave me that tactical knowledge. Even though I’m not a technical engineer today, I still use those same problem-solving skills in my current job.
Share an interesting fact about yourself.
I worked on a large climate change project in Nepal along the Everest Base Camp trail. Probably one of the coolest projects I’ve worked on, with breath-taking views.
Natalie Csinsi – Project Engineer
Chicago, IL
What is your engineering discipline and/or background in engineering?
I have a degree in Mechanical Engineering with a Concentration in Energy Systems.
What is your role at Edison Energy?
I am a Project Engineer and Project Manager for our Demand group within Energy Optimization.
Tell us what engineering means to you:
To me, engineering is simply problem solving. I went into engineering as a way to apply my skills in math and science, but I realized throughout my education that the backbone to engineering is just reasoning. An engineering curriculum teaches you how to think in a way that addresses the problem first, then determines potential solutions to the different elements of your problem. I may not remember all the technical elements from my education, but I do remember how to think rationally and apply that to the problems I encounter each day at work and in my personal life.
What is something you’re looking forward to most this year?
Like everyone else, this year I am looking forward to spending my time with my friends and family who I haven’t seen due to COVID. I’m also very excited to see how my garden does this summer. This year I am growing tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, snap peas, zucchini, peppers, and a bunch of flowers and herbs!
Sarah Royster – Director, Client Services, Renewable Energy Advisory
Minneapolis, MN
What is your engineering discipline and/or background in engineering?
Civil & Environmental Engineering.
What is your role at Edison Energy?
I lead the client services team in the renewable advisory group. We end up doing a lot of upfront education on energy markets and renewable energy with clients as we help them devise a strategy and buy renewable electricity. Mostly this does not involve any engineering, but engineering has been a useful educational background for me to have in getting to this point in my career.
Tell us what engineering means to you:
I loved engineering school; it combined math and physics and chemistry and environmental studies (all subjects I loved) in a very practical, applicable way. As a career, engineering is not something I’m well-suited for. It’s what got me into the renewables industry that I love (I used to do pre-construction work for utility scale solar farms), but I found that I wanted to be involved in a broader array of subject matter. However, engineering has given me confidence that I can understand complex topics (from financial products to legal contracts to construction plan sets) and has been a great knowledge base for a career in the renewable energy industry.
Share an interesting fact about yourself.
In 2015, I went to a party at Prince’s house and heard Lizzo perform. It’s probably the coolest I’ve ever felt.
Thelma Arceo – Senior Project Manager
New York, NY
What is your engineering discipline and/or background in engineering?
Energy Engineering in Energy Policy and Management.
What is your role at Edison Energy?
I am a Project Manager.
Tell us what engineering means to you:
I was involved in biofuels research which led to energy conservation and management particularly in the residential building stock – weatherizing multifamily buildings where energy engineering gave me the best credential to pursue this type of work. I believe that renewables will be the main source stream in the energy future.
If you could have dinner with any 3 people (living or dead) who would they be and why?
1. My Mom – I miss her very much and she is a good gourmet cook.
2. Anthony Bourdain – He appreciated food everywhere and is a good chef.
3. Marie Curie – I want to pick her brain and get inspiration for her dedication and enthusiasm in radioactive research.
Velisa Li – Analyst, Renewables Supply
Boston, MA
What is your engineering discipline and/or background in engineering?
I graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering. I also pursued an additional major in Engineering and Public Policy (EPP).
What is your role at Edison Energy?
I’m an Analyst in our Renewables Supply team. Our team works directly with our clients to evaluate different renewable energy opportunities and identify the best available project/s for our client’s specific needs. We’ll also interact directly with renewable developers to understand where the PPA markets are moving, the challenges that they face on the development side, and what these trends may mean for current and prospective clients looking to transact in the near future.
Tell us what engineering means to you:
To me, engineering means thinking about things as a system or a process (big picture), finding solutions for complex problems, and not being afraid to dig into specifics or technical details.
I loved my science and math classes growing up, and when I started at CMU, I was really interested in the problem-solving aspect that my chemical engineering program emphasized and the application of technical skills and knowledge to improve the world around us that my EPP major emphasized.
Through my coursework, I found that renewable energy and sustainability gave me an intersection between technology & public good, which eventually led me to Edison Energy. While my current role isn’t engineering in the “traditional” sense, I feel like I still use the foundation that my engineering degree gave me – like thinking analytically, working with data to identify trends, and finding holistic solutions.
I firmly believe that the future will rely on clean energy, and to get there, we’ll need to think about how to ensure we’ll also achieve an affordable future, equitable future, and resilient future. That’s a complex problem, and I’m beyond excited to be able to contribute with an engineering mindset.
What is the most recent song you had on repeat?
Well…I haven’t had a specific song on repeat recently, but the last few albums that I’ve had on loop have been Scaled and Icy by Twenty One Pilots, No Pressure by Logic, and Superbloom by MisterWives.
Click here to learn more about the Edison Energy team and stay tuned for the next feature in our Edison Plugged In Series!
