Purpose
Longhorn Energy seeks to leverage the world-class academic, co-curricular, and extra-curricular energy opportunities at UT for the betterment of all members of the UT community. In particular, the aim of this organization shall be to build community and collaboration between students at UT, support energy-related activities and events, and to aid members in pursuit of energy careers.
Leadership Board
President
McCombs School of Business and LBJ School of Public Affairs
Vineet Raman
Vineet is pursuing an MBA and Master of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin. He is interested in the policy mechanisms that promote technological innovation in the energy sector. Vineet has worked on projects related to the expansion of renewables and the acceleration of EV adoption. He has interned with Deloitte and 7X Energy and is currently working at The AES Corporation on the new energy technologies team. Prior to graduate school, Vineet completed his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin and worked as a technology consultant.
Vice Chair
McCombs School of Business and LBJ School of Public Affairs
Reena Fram
Reena is a second-year dual degree MBA and Master of Public Affairs graduate student. Her interests lie at the intersection of business and policy, harnessing both fields to promote a clean energy economy. While at UT, she has interned with the City of Austin’s transportation department and Walmart’s energy services team. Prior to moving to Austin, she supported policy strategy development and grantmaking to clean energy advocacy organizations at the Energy Foundation in San Francisco. Passionate about environmental protection and resource management, she has experience developing environmental impact assessments for water and wastewater treatment in Northern California. Reena earned her B.A. in Political Science and German from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
VP of Marketing
Cockrell School of Engineering
Forest Miller
Forest is a senior undergraduate student pursuing a BS in Mechanical Engineering. His interest lies in the engineering and implementation of clean energy infrastructure, as well as the transition into a more sustainable society with better waste and resource management. In his free time, Forest loves cooking, taking photographs, playing basketball and Spikeball, and making music playlists. While at UT, Forest has been a member of the Longhorn Racing Club electric team, Vice President of the IEEE Power & Energy Society, and a materials engineering undergraduate researcher working towards the additive manufacturing of coin cell batteries. He has also interned with CenterPoint Energy, designing system improvements for natural gas distribution systems across the state of Texas. After graduating in May 2021, Forest aspires to start a career in the renewable energy industry and to facilitate more clean energy education and involvement in the community.
VP of Professional Development
McCombs School of Business and LBJ School of Public Affairs
Kim Dabrowski
Originally from Southern California, Kim received a B.A. in International Relations from UCLA in 2012. She started her career in Chicago in the insurance industry as an underwriter crafting international risk contracts for Fortune 500 companies. Through this experience, she became exposed to various green energy companies and decided to continue her education and pivot into the sector. She is getting both a Masters in Public Affairs and an MBA at the University of Texas at Austin. During her time in school, Kim has interned with the Texas Legislative Council, City of Austin, The AES Corporation, and spent the summer of 2020 at Marathon Capital, a leading renewable energy and infrastructure investment bank. After graduation, Kim is looking to build on her finance and policy skills to pursue opportunities in project development and finance while also working to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion in the renewable energy sector. She is a fan of Chicago sports teams, craft beer, and intramural dodgeball.
Co-VP of Professional Development Jackson School of Geoscience
Barbara Fagundez
Barbara is a senior set to graduate with a B.S. in General Geology at the Jackson School of Geoscience. Renewable energy has always caught her attention but it wasn’t until she learned about the great potential of enhanced geothermal systems that she became truly excited about a career in the energy sector. Geothermal energy combines her fascination with the Earth and her curiosity about energy. She plans to help carve the path towards a future with cleaner energy. In her free time she enjoys sharing a meal with friends, dancing, camping, or admiring a great view.
Co-VP of Research
Cockrell School of Engineering
Upayan Mathkari
Upayan is a Masters student in the Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering. From hiking to kayaking, Upayan enjoys nature and almost all outdoor activities. Passionate about sustainability, he is currently working on a thesis on the reduced order modelling of molten salt reactor (MSR). Upayan has acquired experience working at the intersection of technology and sustainability through his internships at Applied Materials, Samsung Austin Semiconductor, and Yotta Solar where he developed high-value solutions implementing machine learning and data analytics. Upon graduating in May 2021, Upayan aspires to apply cutting edge technologies to develop solutions to achieve a zero carbon future.
Benjamin Stormer Cockrell School of Engineering
Benjamin Stormer
Benjamin is a first-year undergraduate student in the Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering. Growing up near wind farms in the Texas Panhandle first sparked his interest in the renewable energy sector, and now he has a passion for solar and nuclear energy solutions. Benjamin likes to spend his free time rock climbing, playing basketball, listening to music, and following the stock market. At UT, he is also a member of NOBE Texas, the NOBE Texas investment team, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the Texas Rock Climbing Club. In the future, Benjamin hopes to pursue a career that will allow him to help develop exciting new technologies for an eco-friendly society.
VP of Corporate Relations
Cockrell School of Engineering
Phillip Boltan
Phillip is a junior undergraduate student in the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering. He is interested in the interface of economics, policy, research and technology to drive innovation in the energy sector. Phillip has worked in R&D with Exxon on polymers with applications in tire design and manufacturing and in Korgel Lab on silicon and germanium nanomaterials with applications in energy storage and photovoltaics. He is currently working at Shell on the Digitalization and Innovation team as well as with the Switch Energy Alliance to develop the international energy case competition to raise awareness of global energy poverty. Passionate about starting up impactful initiatives, Phillip has co-founded the Negative Emissions Technology Incubator, Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Advisory Board, and Switch Energy Club at UT and aspires to be a future energy leader through his career in Venture Capital, Consulting, and Engineering.
VP of Entrepreneurship
Cockrell School of Engineering
Spencer Trihus
Spencer is a senior undergraduate Chemical Engineering student in the Cockrell School of Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. His experience from living in Saudi Arabia sparked his passion for the energy sector, in particular cleaner energy solutions within the petroleum sector. While at UT, his extracurricular work has centered around economical impacts and perception of alternative energy sources within modern society. His current areas of interest include emerging energy technologies and energy infrastructure within developing countries.
VP of Alumni Relations Jackson School of Geoscience
Danny Greer
Danny is pursuing a Masters degree in Energy and Earth Resources from the Jackson School. He is interested in renewable electricity generation, the U.S. power system, and renewable project financing. Danny formerly worked at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory where his research focused on U.S. grid expansion modeling and renewable integration. He is now assisting Dr. Carey King on the Energy Infrastructure of the Future project. This study intends to establish a better understanding of U.S. energy infrastructure needs in order to inform investment decisions for new infrastructure in the future. In his free time, Danny is a fan of outdoor activities and the Austin music scene.
VP of K-12 Outreach Jackson School of Geoscience
Nina Hebel
Nina is pursuing her Master of Science in Energy and Earth Resources. She received her undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering and Spanish from Villanova University, and then began her career as a drill bit designer for Baker Hughes. She is interested in the intersection of energy technology and policy, particularly with regards to the implementation of new technologies in the context of the energy transition. Nina enjoys baking, reading, and spending time outside.
VP of Finanace Cockrell School of Engineering
Elias Edilberto Matias Garcia
Elias is a second-year Master’s student in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Cockrell School of Engineering. He is interested in electricity markets, analysis of power systems and renewable energy generation. Elias has acquired experience working for companies such as Schneider Electric and RWE Renewables. While at UT, Elias completed an internship at RWE Renewables, where he acquired a solid understanding of congestion analysis, and he also gained experience about the operation of electricity markets. After graduation, Elias is looking to continue his career in the power systems industry.