Discovering My Passion for Energy and Environmental Engineering
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Prof. Alicia AN is a Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and leads the Water-Energy and Membrane Nexus research group. She gained her PhD in Civil Engineering at HKUST and returned to join the University in 2024 after spending two decades in other esteemed institutions and the industry. She was awarded the title of RGC Research Fellow by the Hong Kong Research Grants Council (RGC) in 2022. She has been recognized among the top 2% of the world’s most highly cited scientists by Elsevier and Stanford University since 2020, reflecting her significant contribution to the field of energy and environment. |
By Prof. Alicia AN
Hey there! I’m excited to share my journey with you. Growing up as a beach lover, I spent countless summer days swimming, yachting, and surfing. I loved the beach, but I always hated accidentally gulping down salty water! I wondered why seawater was salty and if it could be made tasty to drink. Little did I know, this curiosity would spark my passion for energy and environmental engineering.
Fast forward to today, and I’m an engineer dedicated to solving some of the world’s biggest challenges: creating clean, drinkable water from seawater and wastewater, and finding sustainable ways to produce clean energy. Let me take you through what makes this field so exciting and why you might want to consider it as your future career!
Energy and environmental engineering is all about finding ways to use energy and resources wisely to protect our planet. Our program interconnects energy and the environment as systems to tackle real-world problems. Here are some cool things you’ll learn. Imagine harnessing the power of the sun and wind to fuel our world. You’ll explore solar panels, wind turbines, green hydrogen, batteries, and bioenergy systems. An important part of this field is understanding the environmental impacts of energy production on ecosystems. You’ll learn how to evaluate these effects and design solutions that are eco-friendly, economically viable, and socially responsible.
What makes this journey even more exciting is the hands-on experience. You’ll get to work in labs, participate in internships, and collaborate on projects with real companies. There’s even the opportunity to exchange with renowned overseas universities. Even you can add artificial intelligence into your program and optimize processes and lead to more efficient solutions.
The best part? There are tons of career opportunities waiting for you. Whether you want to work with renewable energy companies, environmental consultancies, or government agencies, the demand for energy and environmental engineers is growing.
I hope this gives you a glimpse into the world of energy and environmental engineering. It’s a field where your curiosity and creativity can help build a cleaner, greener future. Who knows? Maybe one day you’ll be the one turning seawater into freshwater and hydrogen with less energy or designing the next big renewable energy breakthrough!