Community Engagement & Connections
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It was an honor to attend CERAWeek this year as part of the NexGen Cohort and the Dartmouth Delegation. The week was filled with thought-provoking conversations, lasting new connections, and an opportunity to build my confidence in the professional world.
As a young professional developing my career path and member of the inaugural Master's of Energy Transition (MET) cohort, my eyes are open to the innovative ideas before me and the potential for interdisciplinary collaboration. During CERAWeek, I was exposed to the cutting edge of these ideas in the energy industry and the "convergence" of those ideas across multiple industries. The ability to "drink from the fire hose," learning and listening as much as possible, was an immensely gratifying experience. From methane emission reduction across the natural gas value chain, the importance of infrastructure and permitting to modernize the current strained U.S. energy system, to the pervasive influence of geopolitics on the volatility of energy markets, the knowledge I received was interdisciplinary and timely – something that is invaluable in my education.
An especially important discussion I was able to join was on understanding how community engagement can be used as a "strategic resource" while developing energy projects. Hearing from industry leaders on best practices to listen, work with, and build the host communities of energy projects was deeply inspiring. I hope to incorporate community energy engagement and advocacy into my future career. As building new energy infrastructure becomes increasingly important in our energy system, so will listening to and understanding local communities.
The greatest takeaway from CERAWeek are the lasting connections I made across the field. It was a pleasure to strengthen Dartmouth connections and meet other students through the NextGen Cohort. I was inspired by the other students I talked to and am excited to continue to nurture these relationships and follow their work moving forward. Ultimately, this experience will open doors for interdisciplinary collaboration across academia, industry, and government as we build our careers.
Thanks to The Irving Institute and the Dartmouth Delegation for enabling this wonderful experience. A huge thank you to the NextGen team at S&P Global for facilitating such enriching (and fun!) programming.
— Jordan Schisler, Master of Energy Transition, GR'26
