Current Students
Alex Grun
Alex Grun is a PhD student in the Energy and Mineral Engineering Department at Penn State University. He earned a bachelor’s degree in physics from Gettysburg College and a master’s in materials science and engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. With four years of experience in hardware research specializing in AI technology, he developed a strong interest in machine learning. His current research focuses on applying machine learning to study the effects of climate change on the energy-water nexus.
Joy Adul
Joy Adul is a PhD student in Energy and Mineral Engineering at Penn State University, where she is also an EESI Environmental Scholar. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Moi University in Kenya and a master’s degree in Sustainable Energy from the University of Glasgow in Scotland, where she was a Chevening Scholar. Her career includes ten years of industrial experience in the energy sector, with a focus on renewables. Currently, her primary field of research is data science for energy transition. Joy is being co-advised by Dr. Obringer and Dr. Dzade in EME.
Joy is enthusiastic about working in multidisciplinary areas that cut across SDGs, data science and engineering.
About Dr. Obringer
Dr. Obringer is an assistant professor in the John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering at Penn State University. Her research aims to better understand the impact of climate change on water and energy systems by leveraging data analytics and other computational techniques. She is also affiliated with the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute and the Institute for Computational and Data Sciences. She also holds a courtesy affiliation with the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment, and Health, where she is a Research Fellow of Urban and Interdependent Infrastructure Systems.
Prior to working at Penn State, Dr. Obringer was a postdoctoral research fellow at the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC). Through this fellowship, she sought to better understand the connection between water conservation attitudes and anthropogenic droughts in the Colorado River Basin.
Dr. Obringer obtained her PhD from Purdue University in environmental and ecological engineering. Her dissertation focused on evaluating the impact of climate change on urban water resources. She was also affiliated with the Ecological Science and Engineering Interdisciplinary Graduate Program while at Purdue. She holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering from Ohio State University.
Personal Website | Google Scholar | Link to CV (updated June 2024)
Former Students
Carlos Aviles-Santiago (BS Civil Engineering, 2026) worked in our lab during Summer 2024 as part of the Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP). He is currently a junior at the University of Puerto Rico – Mayagüez and plans to graduate in Spring 2026.
Tanner Marchant (BS in Energy Engineering, 2025) worked in our lab during Summer 2024 as part of the Multi-Campus REU (MCREU). He is currently a senior in Energy Engineering at Penn State and plans to graduate in Spring 2025.
Vijay Bhaskar Chiluveru (MS in Energy and Mineral Engineering, 2024) conducted his Master’s thesis in our lab. He is currently working as a post-graduate research assistant in the Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering at Penn State. He is currently working as a gas & electric coordination engineer at NYISO.
Caden Vitti (BS in Energy Engineering, 2024) conducted his honors thesis in our lab. He is currently working as an energy consultant for Arup in San Francisco.
Grace Peterson (BS in Environmental Systems Engineering) worked in our lab during Summer 2023 as part of the Multi-Campus REU (MCREU). She is currently a junior in Environmental Systems Engineering at Penn State and plans to graduate in Spring 2026.
Simon Pezalla (BS in Energy Engineering) worked in our lab during Summer 2022 as part of the Multi-Campus REU (MCREU).