KINGSTON, R.I. – August 12, 2020 – University of Rhode Island senior Mary Ellen Hawkins describes herself as an artist and environmentalist, but she hadn’t put much thought into the topic of sustainable energy production until she was named a URI Energy Fellow last winter. Now it is forcing her to rethink her future plans.

“I didn’t have a passion for energy issues before I got the fellowship,” said Hawkins, a Newport resident majoring in environmental and natural resource economics. “It wasn’t something I knew much about. I’ve always been a proponent of environmental justice, and I’ve always felt it’s important to focus on revitalizing cities to be environmentally friendly, but I didn’t realize how big a role energy played in it.”

Since January, Hawkins has spent her fellowship at URI’s Coastal Resources Center interviewing researchers, organizing stakeholder meetings, and maintaining a website about offshore renewable energy.

“I worked in IT at CCRI for five years, so I have lots of experience with web development and IT support,” she said. “Our goal is to turn this website into a one-stop shop for all kinds of people who want to learn how Rhode Island is playing this huge role in offshore renewable energy with the first offshore wind farm in the country.”

In collaboration with URI Coastal Resources Center staff members Jen McCann and Sue Kennedy, Hawkins spends most of her days creating content for the website, including writing feature stories and producing videos. Her primary focus has been on creating an “Ask the Experts” page featuring interviews with local experts on a wide range of related topics, from the impact of wind turbines on birds and whales to questions about the permitting of future wind farms.

“I just love the team that I get to work with,” she said of McCann and Kennedy. “And I love having a sense of responsibility and ownership for the project. It’s really inspiring to get to learn about all these happenings about my home state. I’m always telling my friends about what I’m learning about offshore wind. It’s a super empowering project.”

Hawkins is one of 19 URI Energy Fellows working at companies, government agencies and other organizations on a variety of energy issues, from renewables and energy efficiency to green building design and energy education. Established in 2008, the program meets the growing need for experiential learning opportunities for students interested in addressing real-world energy issues from a sustainability or efficiency perspective.

A recipient of the Miss Swinburne Scholarship, Hawkins – also known as Mel – spends much of her free time writing songs and performing folk rock music around the region with her band, Mel and the Unruly Roots. Her debut single, “Women,” garnered wide recognition and received generous airplay on local college radio.

As she looks to her future, Hawkins said that her fellowship has pointed her in potential directions she would never have otherwise considered.

“It really opened up a door that I didn’t even know existed,” she said. “Working with the team at the Coastal Resources Center has been great. I’m now integrating what I’ve learned about offshore renewable energy with my IT background and my other passions, and we’ll see where it leads.

“For now,” Hawkins added, “I’m riding the wave of my future and going with the flow.”