University Times

The Swanson School of Engineering is partnering with Siemens Energy to provide Pitt’s aspiring electric power engineers with the same training and software available to their professional counterparts.

The company will provide the school with the professional version of its Power System Simulator for Engineering (PSSE) software, the industry-standard tool for designing and analyzing power transmission systems. In addition, Siemens will establish a $5,000 annual graduate fellowship at the school, as well as access for faculty and students to attend Siemens’ Power Technologies International courses, which provide up-to-date training in power system analysis and planning.

The five-year agreement with Siemens Energy’s Transmission and Distribution Service Solutions group marks the first of only a few collaborations the company plans to form with American universities.

Gregory Reed, director of the Swanson School’s Power and Energy Initiative and a faculty member in electrical and computer engineering, said that the partnership presents an important advantage to students entering an engineering field that is in step with the nation’s increasing need for electric power as well as more efficient and expansive delivery networks.