Junior Caitlyn Patton Named University’s First IEEE Power and Energy Society Scholar

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Caitlyn Patton

MACON – Mercer University junior Caitlyn Patton is one of 174 students nationwide among this year’s Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Power and Energy Society (PES) Scholars.

Patton is the first Mercer student to receive this scholarship from IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity.

The IEEE PES Scholarship Plus Initiative provides funding and real-world experience to undergraduates who are interested in power and energy engineering careers.

The scholarship provides $2,000 per year and is renewable for each undergraduate year. PES will also assist award-winners in finding professional experiences over the summer. Winners also receive a complimentary membership to PES and access to their library of literary journals.

“I am honored to be the first student at Mercer to receive this award,” said Patton. “I hope that it will open the door for more PES Scholars at the University in the future.”

A native of Durham, North Carolina, Patton is an electrical engineering major enrolled in the School of Engineering’s 4+1 Integrated Master of Science Program. She hopes to pursue a career focused on alternative energy sources and energy-efficient power delivery systems.

She is a Jesse Mercer Scholar and member of the Engineering Scholars Track of the University Honors Program, which has allowed her to conduct research regarding wireless power transfer with Dr. Ruiyun Fu, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering.

Patton presented preliminary research at the ninth annual IEEE International Symposium on Power Electronics for Distributed Generation Systems (PEDG) in Charlotte, North Carolina, in June. She also interned with the Transmission Engineering Division of Duke Energy in Raleigh, North Carolina, this past summer.

She is an IEEE member of both the national society and Mercer’s chapter, as well as a member of Tau Beta Pi engineering honor society and Phi Eta Sigma honor society. She is an active member and current secretary for the University’s chapter of the Society of Women Engineers and serves as layout editor for The Cluster student newspaper.

IEEE’s Power and Energy Society provides the world’s largest forum for sharing the latest in technological developments in the electric power industry, for developing standards that guide the development and construction of equipment and systems and for educating members of the industry and the general public. For more information, visit www.ieee-pes.org.

About the School of Engineering

Mercer University’s School of Engineering, founded in 1985, offers innovative and academically challenging programs that provide students with a comprehensive education, featuring a solid foundation in mathematics and sciences, a core engineering curriculum, a range of courses in engineering specialties and a strong emphasis on communication technologies. The School is consistently ranked by U.S. News and World Report as one of the top three master’s-degree-level engineering schools in the Southeast. Known for its breadth of instruction in its undergraduate program and its five-year joint bachelor’s and master’s degree program, the School combines technical education with hands-on laboratory experience. Mercer engineers can look forward to joining fellow alumni in companies such as Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex, Lockheed Martin, Georgia Power, Siemens and Gulfstream Aerospace.