|
As a former business owner with over 35 years of experience in the field, John Kumm knows a lot about energy and entrepreneurship. So when the idea for the University of Idaho’s Energy Institute arose, Kumm’s name was at the top of the list of candidates for the founding director.
After three months in his new role, Kumm’s excitement to build programs for students and relationships with U of I partners hasn’t dimmed.
“It’s a cool entrepreneurship opportunity to build the Energy Institute,” said Kumm. “We have a huge team supporting this and everyone is on board with the ideas. We want to teach students more about the energy economy, build additional research in energy areas and engage with external partners, have conversations about their needs and the ways they would like to participate with us.”
As a U of I electrical engineering student in the 1980s, Kumm dreamed of building airplanes, but with limited job prospects in aeronautics, he took a job at — what was at the time — a small startup in Pullman called Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL).
“I had no idea the risk I was taking working for a new company, but it set me on an entirely different course and worked out great,” Kumm said. “Helping provide a resource like electricity that is fundamental to the way we live — whether it’s education, health care, entertainment, communications or work — I get to help with that and it’s a thrill.”
He ventured out on his own to found System Protection Services in 1999 and then spent more than 17 years at POWER Engineers after POWER acquired his firm.
Now at the U of I, Kumm is developing an energy certificate program, new courses and eventually degrees to bolster the energy industry workforce. He’s looking at ways to use the campus community as a living laboratory for research on energy opportunities.
While he is housed in the College of Engineering, Kumm is working with a wide range of campus partners. For instance, he foresees partnering with students and faculty members in the College of Art and Architecture to improve energy efficiency in campus buildings. And he’s already engaged with the College of Natural Resources on a project with Portland General Electric to mitigate wildfire ignition risk.
Kumm is putting together an energy industry advisory board to provide advice, advocacy and project development ideas. While building on relationships with Idaho National Laboratory, Avista, Idaho Power, SEL, POWER Engineers, and other companies, Kumm hopes to develop a network of faculty members and professionals that can solve problems.
“We’ve developed great relationships and we want to work with other industry areas at the university to meet their needs,” Kumm said. “In my career I’ve found that good things happen when you find people with things in common and you make those connections.”
We’re excited to launch the U of I Energy Institute to serve as a hub for research, education and practical problem solving in a sector that is critical to our state. Kumm’s experience, expertise and passion are a tremendous asset as we aim to increase energy literacy and grow the workforce needed for Idaho’s energy future.
|
