Rishav Sen, a Ph.D. student in electrical and computer engineering, has been selected for the OpenMinds NextGen Leaders Program. Those chosen are part of a cohort of emerging leaders across a select group of universities to solve the “dual challenge” of increasing energy supply while reducing emissions and slowing climate change.
OpenMinds Fellows are assigned industry mentors, attend speaker sessions, complete sponsored impact projects, and take part in an expenses-paid, in-person bootcamp in June 2025. The time commitment is approximately one to five hours per week for the period of one year.
Fellows are selected based on area of expertise or interest in climate and energy; leadership and impact orientation; academic excellence; and overall fit for the NextGen Leaders Program.
“I’m honored to be selected for the OpenMinds NextGen program,” said Sen, who is a member of the Institute for Software Integrated Systems at Vanderbilt. “It’s exciting to join a community focused on real-world energy and climate challenges—the Dual Challenge. My research explores how optimization and decision-making methods can improve energy system efficiency, and I’m looking forward to learning, contributing, and collaborating on impactful real-world solutions.”
Contact: Lucas Johnson, lucas.l.johnson@vanderbilt.edu