Isaac Torres Marchand Preps for a Career in Clean Energy Through the GEM Fellowship

J. Isaac Torres Marchand just completed his master’s degree in advanced energy systems earlier this summer before coming back to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for his second and final time as a Graduate Education for Minority Students (GEM) Fellow within DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). 

The GEM Fellowship Program recruits highly qualified, underrepresented students pursuing master's and doctoral degrees in applied science and engineering and matches their specific skills to the technical needs of GEM employer members such as EERE and DOE’s national labs.

We caught up with Isaac as his fellowship with EERE’s Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO) came to a close. Here’s what he had to say about his experience and his hopes for his career future. 

What was something that was unexpected or surprising about your first time as a GEM Fellow? 

Before the GEM Fellowship, I had experience working with a national lab—the National Renewable Energy Laboratory—but I never imagined I’d get to work for the Department of Energy. I felt like I had the opportunity to work for my boss’s boss! I joined WETO and was surprised at the amount of work, research, and funding that goes into the wind sector alone. 

What projects did you work on during your fellowship with WETO? 

During both of my summers as a Fellow at WETO, I worked on updating their website and organizing how projects are displayed. I also did data research on emerging issues. For instance, last year I was looking into floating offshore substations and this year I focused on subsea power cable failures. I also did some work supporting a supply chain project for offshore windfarms that’s led by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory with support from WETO. 

What are your career ambitions? 

I just graduated with my master’s degree earlier this spring, so right now, I’m trying to get as much experience as I can. At some point in the future, I want to pursue a Ph.D. on some type of renewable energy research, but I’d like to explore job opportunities first. Ultimately, I want to focus my career on making the clean energy transition easier and more efficient. 

What sparked your interest in renewable energy and sustainability? 

Funny enough, in high school I wanted to be a chef, but then I started working in restaurants and quickly changed my mind. I started participating in robotics competitions and other STEM activities, and completely shifted gears. I decided I wanted to be an engineer. Entering college, I wasn’t sure what my focus should be, but picked electrical engineering, which introduced me to the world of energy and power systems, including clean energy. Being from Denver with all the beautiful mountains and landscapes, I enjoy outdoor activities like camping. I want to play a role in preserving the environment that I love so much. 

What is something that you’re most proud of, in terms of both your education and the GEM Fellowship experience? 

I’m proud of how far I’ve come in my education and my dedication throughout this journey. I’m a first-generation university student in my family. While I was born in Denver, Colorado, my parents moved us back to Chihuahua, Mexico, when I was still a baby. As a kid, I decided I wanted to move back to the States and had the opportunity to live with my aunt in Denver. I moved just in time to start middle school there. Learning English and dealing with the new education system and different cultures – it was a challenging adjustment, but I persevered. Years later, now I’m thinking about getting a Ph.D.  

Reflecting on my fellowship experience, I’m most proud of how I was able to contribute and learn from many different U.S. wind energy projects in a short time. The GEM Fellowship was a great opportunity to get exposed to many things that I can apply to my future career, and it’s amazing that the GEM organization, along with DOE, funded my graduate program as well! It’s been a dream come true.

EERE is always looking for enthusiastic, driven professionals to join our team and be Clean Energy Champions. To learn more about the GEM Fellowship and apply for the 2025 program, visit the GEM Fellowship Program website, and contact info@gemfellowship.org with any questions.