Climate & Energy Policy Seminar


Connect with researchers across campus, meet like-minded students, and get published.


About the Seminar

Each spring, the Kleinman Center hosts its undergraduate student fellows program and climate and energy policy seminar series. This program is designed as a competitive and selective appointment for committed undergraduates. Admitted students are expected to attend a lunchtime seminar every other week at the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy. These energy and climate policy seminar sessions provide students with the opportunity to meet and hear from energy researchers as they discuss the findings and policy implications of their recent research.

Seminar Topics

Lectures and discussions cover a wide range of energy and climate topics, including:

  • Adaptive Design
  • Climate Science and the Carbon Cycle
  • Energy Markets
  • Environmental Justice
  • Environmental Law and Regulation
  • Environmental Risk Management
  • Renewable Energy and Storage
  • Transportation 

Note: Seminar discussions are designed to challenge students to think critically. Students need not have expertise on these topics.

Student Opportunities 

Student fellows selected for this seminar have many unique opportunities for both academic and professional development.

Networking. Admitted students learn from many of Penn’s top energy researchers—engaging and networking with presenters and student fellows.

Publishing. Blog posts that students submit at the end of the semester are published on the Kleinman Center website and shared with our growing community of students, faculty, policymakers, and industry experts.

Career Building. This program is an excellent career-building opportunity, helping student fellows develop a deep understanding of energy and climate policy topics. As official members of the Kleinman Center community, student fellows receive a number of ancillary benefits such as occasional opportunities to meet visiting scholars and speakers, advanced notice of Kleinman Center events, and the professional benefits of having an official association with a globally respected energy policy center.

Workshops. In addition to the eight lunchtime seminars scheduled throughout the semester, our undergraduate fellows have the opportunity to participate in writing and training workshops led by professionals working in energy. These workshops provide valuable professional development opportunities.

Student Commitments

The Spring 2024 seminar is held every two weeks for the entirety of the semester—a total of eight or nine seminar sessions. These sessions are on Wednesdays from 12PM to 1PM. Accepted student fellows are expected to attend all of the seminar sessions. Students must notify Oscar Serpell, associate director of student programming, of any unavoidable absence in advance of the seminar. Students with two or more unexcused absences will be dismissed from the program.

In addition to attending seminar discussions, each student fellow must submit a blog post (~600 words) on an energy or climate topic of their choice by the end of the semester. Student fellows then work with the Kleinman center’s editorial and communications team to publish their blog on the Kleinman Center website.

Applicant Requirements

  • Open to Penn undergraduate students enrolled during the Spring 2024 semester.
  • Must have a demonstrated interest in climate and energy policy. This interest may be reflected in academics, extra-curricular activities, or in a student’s submitted writing sample and statement of interest.
  • Must commit to attend bi-weekly seminar sessions.

Applicants do not need to be pursuing a degree related to energy or climate policy and science. 

Applications Now Open

Deadline: November 10, 2024


Publication Highlights

2023 Blog Posts

This year’s insights tackled everything from research lab emissions to coal’s dominance in the developing world. Take a look at the full lineup of publications.

Read Student Blog Posts


Meet the 2023 Student Fellows

Enzo Bergamo
Undergraduate Seminar Fellow
Enzo Bergamo is an undergraduate and master’s student studying Systems Science and Engineering with a concentration in Energy & Sustainability. Bergamo is also a 2023 Undergraduate Student Fellow.
Joshua Chertok
Student Advisory Council Member
Joshua Chertok is a Kleinman Center Student Advisory Council Member and an undergraduate student studying International Relations and Modern Middle Eastern Studies at the School of Arts and Science. He was also a 2023 Undergraduate Seminar Fellow.
Christian Daebritz
Student Advisory Council Member
Christian Daebritz is a Kleinman Center Student Advisory Council Member an undergraduate studying Finance and Business Analytics at Wharton. Daebritz was also a 2023 Undergraduate Student Fellow.
Derek He
2023 Kleinman Apollo Fellow
Derek He a second-year undergraduate in the Jerome Fisher Program in Management and Technology, studying computer science and business. He is the 2023 Kleinman Apollo Fellow and a 2023 Undergraduate Student Fellow.
Lotus Kaufman
Undergraduate Seminar Fellow
Lotus Kaufman is a student in the College of Arts and Sciences studying Communication and Environmental Humanities. Kaufman is also a 2023 Undergraduate Student Fellow.
Linda Lin
Undergraduate Seminar Fellow
Linda Lin is a third-year undergraduate studying Materials Science and Engineering at the School of Engineering and Applied Science. Lin is also a 2023 Undergraduate Student Fellow.
Bianca Montañez
Student Advisory Council Member
Bianca Montañez is a member of the Kleinman Center’s Student Advisory Council and is an undergraduate student in the College of Arts and Sciences. Montañez was also a 2023 Undergraduate Student Fellow.
Dhruva Nistane
Undergraduate Seminar Fellow
Dhruva Nistane is an undergraduate student in the Huntsman Program, studying finance at the Wharton School and international studies in the College of Arts and Sciences. Nistane is also a 2023 Undergraduate Student Fellow.
Julia Pampush
Student Advisory Council Member
Julia Pampush is a member of the Kleinman Center’s Student Advisory Council and an undergraduate in the College of Arts and Sciences majoring in Environmental Studies and Design. Pampush was also a 2023 Undergraduate Student Fellow.
Annabelle Paradise
Undergraduate Seminar Fellow
Annabelle Paradise is a second-year undergraduate studying Environmental Studies and International Relations in the College of Arts and Sciences. Paradise is also a 2023 Undergraduate Student Fellow.
Bronwyn Patterson
Undergraduate Seminar Fellow
Bronwyn Patterson is a second-year undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania studying Environmental Studies with a concentration in Sustainability and Management. Patterson is also a 2023 Undergraduate Student Fellow.
Yajjat Sekhsaria
Undergraduate Seminar Fellow
Yajjat Sekhsaria is a second-year undergraduate pursuing a dual degree in Systems Engineering from Penn Engineering and Statistics from The Wharton School. Sekhsaria is also a 2023 Undergraduate Student Fellow.
James Tonrey
Undergraduate Seminar Fellow
James Tonrey is a fourth-year undergraduate in the College of Arts and Sciences studying Earth Science and Russian/East European Studies. Tonrey is also a 2023 Undergraduate Student Fellow.
Andrea Yang
Undergraduate Seminar Fellow
Andrea Yang is an undergraduate student studying Economics in the Wharton School. Yang is also a 2023 Undergraduate Student Fellow.
Laura Lee Ru Ye
Student Advisory Council Member
Laura Lee Ru Ye is a member of the Kleinman Center’s Student Advisory Council and a Wharton student concentrating in Finance and Business Analytics. She was also a 2023 Undergraduate Student Fellow.