Since its founding in 1954, the American Solar Energy Society (ASES) has served as a nexus for U.S. solar energy educators and professionals to accelerate the development and adoption of solar energy technologies. The ASES student scholarship program is aimed at building up national capacities and future professionals in the renewable energy field by encouraging innovation and collaboration. It also encourages sharing of experiences with its student members.
The Don Aitken Memorial Scholarship was established in 2022 for the purpose of providing financial assistance to ASES student members and interns. Candidates may submit applications that demonstrate active involvement with ASES and show a strong interest in the renewable energy fields related to solar such as business, research, engineering, architecture, journalism, law, finance, real estate, and/or policy.
Dr. Donald Aitken (1936 – 2022) twice served as President of the American Solar Energy Society and was Vice President of the International Solar Energy Society. Dr. Aitken received many awards for his lifetime service in solar energy and for his building designs that emphasized the use of natural daylighting and passive solar. Dr. Aitken dedicated many years to working as a Research Physicist at Stanford University in California. He was the founder and Chairman of the Department of Environmental Studies at San Jose State University in California, Executive Director of the U.S. Department of Energy Western Regional Solar Energy Center, and Senior Staff Scientist for Renewable Energy Policy and Economics with the 100,000-member Union of Concerned Scientists.
ASES will be awarding a limited number of scholarships each application cycle to ASES student members who are enrolled students, including vocational/technical college and undergraduate/graduate university students. Applicants must be involved and active with ASES either directly such as through an internship or through a student chapter. The applicants must be enrolled at educational institutions in the United States.
The Gene Clark Memorial Scholarship, established in 2023, is for Graduate Students pursuing higher education in solar or related renewable energy fields. Gene Clark Memorial Scholarship provides a $1,000 scholarship annually to a graduate student. Dr. Eugene ‘Gene’ Clark (1943-2023) was a recognized expert and lifetime advocate of solar energy and active and passive heating and cooling for buildings. Gene was associated with the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Trinity University, in San Antonio, TX, where he taught from 1975 – 2011, rising to the rank of Professor and serving as department chair. From 1976 – 1986, Gene was a founder and Director of the multi-disciplinary graduate program in Applied Solar Energy at Trinity University. The curriculum included courses from the Department of Engineering Sciences and Physics, including most thermal and photovoltaic applications of solar energy, with an emphasis on active and passive heating and cooling systems for buildings.
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