Olivia Wiesemann, a graduate student in renewable and clean energy engineering, has been honored by the U.S. Department of Energy as the 2024 recipient of the Outstanding Achievement Award in Energy Engineering by an Industrial Training and Assessment Center (ITAC) Student.
ITAC delivers no-cost energy assessments to small and medium-sized manufacturers across Ohio, providing customized recommendations to reduce electricity, natural gas, and water consumption. In addition to identifying opportunities for energy savings, ITAC teams often suggest process improvements that enhance manufacturing efficiency. The program supports workforce development and innovation through engineer training and energy efficiency research.
Each ITAC director is invited to nominate one student for national recognition. Dr. Jun-Ki Choi selected Wiesemann as the University of Dayton’s nominee for 2024. From the number of submissions, representatives from the U.S. Department of Energy reviewed nominations and selected the student award recipients.
“Her combination of technical innovation and internal systems thinking has distinguished her as a creative leader within the UD-ITAC and a role model among her peers,” Dr. Choi writes in his nomination for Wiesemann.
Wiesemann’s selection reflects not only her individual contributions, but also the collective impact of the UD-ITAC team’s commitment to energy efficiency and sustainable innovation.
“This achievement means that hard work really can pay off. Hard work, not just from me, but from my team as well. Without the support of my team at the ITAC, I could have never gotten this award,” Wiesemann said. “This achievement also represents millions of dollars in recommended energy cost savings, hundreds of thousands of MMBtu energy consumption savings, and tonnes of carbon emissions saved across Ohio during my time in the program.”
Wiesemann first learned about ITAC during her junior year at UD through Dr. Andrew Chiasson, who recommended her to program director Dr. Choi. She joined the team in her senior year and began working on energy assessments.
“I knew I made the right choice to join ITAC during my first energy assessment when I realized just how involved you can get in a facility, the workers, and just how much I could learn about manufacturing and building systems,” Wiesemann said. “I truly felt that the program was a great place to learn and build experience.”
Wiesemann describes ITAC as a valuable hands-on experience that revealed the far-reaching impact of the energy sector and deepened her understanding of its role in everyday life.
“This program has given me a huge step up in understanding how intricate manufacturing facilities are,” Wiesemann said. “No two are ever the same, so having an understanding of how systems work and how to identify them is a great skill that cannot be taught in a class.”
Following her graduation in December, Wiesemann plans to work in energy consulting, attributing this passion to her time in ITAC.
“I like knowing that I can help people save money, energy, and time well after I leave the facility,” Wiesemann said. “I want to continue working in places where my work can leave a lasting, sustainable impact on a facility.”
