Student Research on Sweden’s Energy Transition (SWEET)
Introduction
SWEET engages a cohort of 8 undergraduate and graduate students from DC-area universities in a collaborative and interdisciplinary research experience spanning the spring and summer. Students will work closely with faculty mentors at the Luleå University of Technology (LTU), Sweden’s northernmost university, to investigate the challenges and opportunities in Sweden’s green energy transition. Students explore questions such as: How will we power the industries of the future? How can we balance tensions between political priorities, labor and environmental variables, and technological possibilities in the green transition?
Selected students participate in a 3-credit course in research methods in Washington, DC during the spring semester before traveling to Luleå, Sweden for 5 weeks in the early summer to support ongoing research. Upon returning to the U.S., students spend the rest of the summer synthesizing their findings.
Selections for the 2026 cohort have been made. Applications to join the 2027 cohort will open in September 2026.
Project Team
Robert Orttung
The George Washington University
Caitlin Grady
The George Washington University
2026 SWEET Cohort
- Mark Achkar is a junior at the George Washington University studying Biology with a minor in International Affairs.
- Aiden Clair is a sophomore at Howard University studying Political Science with a minor in Biology.
- Sophia Colby is a senior at George Mason University studying Environmental & Sustainability Studies with a minor in Social Justice & Human Rights.
- Bridget Kinnaman is a senior at the George Washington University studying Data Processing and Geography with a minor in GIS.
- Amna Maqsood is a senior at the George Washington University studying Systems Engineering and Data Analytics with a minor in Sustainability.
- Madelyn McCarthy is a senior at the George Washington University studying Environmental and Sustainability Science with minors in Business and Geography.
- Gabriel Ruiz is a junior at Catholic University studying Environmental Engineering with a minor in Ecology.
- Michelle Wang is a junior at Georgetown University studying Science, Technology, and International Affairs with a minor in Environmental Science.