The Scholarship Awards are presented at the 2013 GRC Annual Meeting
The Geothermal Resources Council (GRC), a non-profit educational association dedicated to the promotion of geothermal energy and associated technologies around the world, is pleased to announce the recipients of two (2) $USD 2,500 GRC Scholarship Awards.
The award of the first GRC Scholarships to two international students reflects the diverse world-wide membership of the Geothermal Resources Council.
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| Andrés Ruzo (left) and Koenraad Beckers, recipients of this years GRC Scholarships |
Andrés Ruzo
Andrés’ enthusiasm for geothermal was sparked early in his life. “This passion started when I was a young boy, spending summers on our family farm on the Casita Volcano near Chinandega, Nicaragua. I vividly remember cooking eggs in the fumaroles with my mom and playing with my cousins by tossing hot mud at each other”.
Andrés holds three citizenships (Nicaraguan, American, and Peruvian) and looks to geothermal energy as a solution to many social and economic problems in Latin America.
He obtained a B.Sc. in Geology, with emphasis in geothermal, and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance, with a emphasis on energy finance, from the Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, which included experience in the SMU Geothermal Laboratory.
Andrés has promoted geothermal energy development in Peru through research, talks, videos and blogs, gaining the attention of a number of international groups and media sources, including the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, and National Geographic. He has helped produce a documentary The Boiling River, funded in part through the National Geographic Young Explorers Grant Program, on exploring a mythical river sourced by hot geothermal waters, while working with the indigenous Ashaninka community who guards it. The movie will receive its world premiere at the GRC Annual Meeting in Las Vegas.
Koenraad Beckers
Koenraad is originally from Belgium. He obtained a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Leuven in Flanders, and conducted research for his Master’s thesis at the Technical University of Munich in Germany.
Through a Fulbright fellowship, Koenraad enrolled in a Master’s of Engineering program in Energy Economics and Engineering at Cornell University focusing on studying geothermal reservoir simulations for the renewability of Enhanced Geothermal Systems.
Koenraad is passionate for the industry. “Geothermal energy fascinated me because the many advantages are clear and the resource is enormous, but it is widely misunderstood and overseen by the general public”.
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The selection of recipients was based upon a variety of factors, including the individual’s academic record, student activities, geothermal industry experience, and career goals.
The scholarships were presented today at the Opening Session of the GRC Annual Meeting, being held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
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