AABE Gator Chapter Founder Conrad Cole is not only a rising leader within AABE, he’s an energy scholar with an impressive resume. The Sierra Leone native displayed a love for learning complex and abstract concepts at an early age. Today he’s using that passion to fuel his future as an energy professional and one of many up and coming minority leaders within the field.

“Being involved with AABE has provided me the opportunity to network with industry professionals while serving on the Florida chapter scholarship committee,” Cole said. “As a graduate student I was also driven to create a collegiate chapter at the University of Florida with support from the AABE Florida chapter’s executive committee.”
Cole says the AABE Gator Chapter will be an invaluable resource for those interested in starting energy careers.

“The new AABE Gator Chapter will serve as a channel through which undergraduates can find their niche in the energy industry and become properly equipped for successful careers prior to graduation,” Cole said.
In addition to building upon the AABE legacy, Cole is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Florida. He holds a B.S. and M.S. in mechanical engineering. Conrad’s short-term goal is to secure a postdoctoral research position and his long-term goal is to become a university professor or a scientist at a DOE national laboratory. Cole also dreams of establishing a school or STEM education program in his homeland of Sierra Leone to contribute to raising the standard of living for its people.