WiNUP Scholarships

WiNUP Scholarships

The Women's International Network of Utility Professionals (WiNUP) believes in doing all it can to help students and professionals with their educational pursuits in support of careers in the utility industry and related fields.

WiNUP currently has three scholarships available annually to women pursuing advanced degrees (beyond a bachelor's degree), which will lead to careers in the utility industry or allied fields. Relevant fields of study must relate to a career in a utility related profession such as engineering, business administration, accounting, environmental sciences, communication, information technologies, etc.

The Julia Kiene Scholarship ($2,000)
Ms. Kiene’s career serves as an inspiration to women who pursue careers in the industry. During her long, diversified career, she taught home economics, served as Home Editor of Capper's Farmer and retired from the Westinghouse Corporation. Ms. Kiene was a president of the organization and served on the Board of Directors for WiNUP’s parent organization, The Electrical Women's Round Table, Inc., for many years.

The Lyle Mamer Scholarship ($1,000)
This scholarship honors Ms. Mamer, a long-time associate professor at the University of Tennessee College of Home Economics who dedicated her life to contributing to advancements in the electrical industry. Lyle Mamer, whose family endowed the scholarship in her name was an active member of WiNUP (EWRT).

The Louisan Mamer Scholarship ($500)
Ms. Mamer was an electric industry pioneer who worked for many years with the Rural Electrification Administration educating rural Americans about the uses of electricity. She was the first woman to be awarded the Clyde T. Ellis Award in recognition of her service and accomplishments on behalf of electrical cooperatives. Ms. Mamer joined WiNUP (EWRT) in 1948 and remained a member until her death in 2006. Her generous $20,000 contribution to WiNUP enables the organization to fund the annual scholarship in her name. 

Program Rules and Deadlines

The applicant must be accepted to a regionally or nationally accredited university.

Both WiNUP Members and non-members are eligible to apply for the scholarships.

Applicants must submit an online application before May 1 of each year to be eligible. Winners will be notified by June 30 of each year.

Applications for 2024 are now closed. Please visit the website again in early Spring for a link to submit an application for the 2025 Fall school year.

WiNUP Professional Development Scholarship

Any member interested in applying for the scholarship MUST complete the Member Professional Development Scholarship application form. The application form is found in the Member Section on the website. The application deadline is August 15. The applicant will be notified by September 15 and announced at conference. Applications received after August 15 will be considered for the following year’s scholarship.

The scholarships are designed for degree or non-degree study. Non-degree study would include professional development programs and workshops that have associated participation costs such as public speaking, PMP, graphic design, accounting/excel courses.

WINUP 2024 Scholarship Recipients Pursuing a Variety of Degrees

Ifeoluwa Olaniyan, a Nigerian native who is pursuing a master’s degree in engineering, and energy and environmental management, has received WiNUP’s Julia Kiene educational fellowship. Ifeoluwa, who is enrolled at George Washington University, will receive $2,000.

Kayleen Garcia is this year’s Lyle Mamer fellowship winner. Kayleen is a University of Washington student working toward a Master of Science degree in applied bioengineering. The Lyle Mamer Fellowship is a $1,000 annual award.

The $500 Louisian Mamer Fellowship was awarded to Ruchi Gupta. Ruchi is attending National Louis University’s Florida campus to earn her doctorate degree in business administration. She received the Lyle Mamer Fellowship last year.

Learn more about this year’s fellowship recipients below.

All scholarships honor WiNUP members who made significant contributions to the electric industry and the organization.

Julia Kiene served as home editor of Capper's Farmer and worked as a home economist at the Westinghouse Corporation. Julia also served on the board of directors of The Electrical Women's Round Table, Inc. (EWRT), as WiNUP was formerly known.

Lyle Mamer was a long-time associate professor at the University of Tennessee College of Home Economics. She was an active member of several professional organizations, including EWRT.

Long time EWRT/WiNUP member Louisan Mamer worked at the Rural Electrification Administration for many years, traveling throughout the country to educate rural Americans about how to use electricity when power first came to remote areas.

Ifeoluwa Olaniyan’s goal: to make ‘a tangible impact in the utility industry’

While growing up in Nigeria, Ifeoluwa Olaniyan witnessed firsthand how inadequate waste management practices and inefficient utility systems impacted her community. “These experiences ignited my passion for environmental conservation and fueled my determination to make a difference in this critical area,” she said.

Though she said her undergraduate studies in chemical engineering helped her understand the complexities of environmental regulations and remediations practices, she decided to pursue her master’s degree in engineering management, and energy and environment management because “I felt I had the passion but lacked the necessary training to effect change.”

For Ifeoluwa, receiving the Kiene Fellowship has validated her dedication to making a tangible impact in the utility industry. “I am excited about the prospect of contributing to WiNUP’s mission of supporting women pursuing advanced degrees in fields relevant to the utility industry. This scholarship represents an invaluable opportunity for me to further my education, deepen my knowledge, and, ultimately, contribute to creating a more sustainable future for our communities and the planet.”

As she advocates for policies that prioritize sustainability and promote responsible utility management practices — particularly in her home country — Ifeoluwa looks forward to meeting with policymakers, industry stakeholders and community leaders to discuss clean energy technologies, improve infrastructure resilience and address climate change challenges. She also plans to discuss those issues with the public since many are unaware just how great their impact is on the environment. “I am confident in my ability to drive positive change and contribute to the creation of a more resilient, efficient, and equitable energy future,” she said.

Kayleen Garcia proud to have broken a generational stereotype

Generations of women in Kayleen Garcia’s family had only one option in their lives: to be a small-town housewife in Mexico. But Kayleen, a first generation American, is proud to have broken the generational stereotype. The Lyle Mamer Fellowship winner has already earned a bachelor’s degree in human-centered design and engineering and is on her way to obtaining a master’s degree in applied bioengineering which she says will “help me assist underrepresented stakeholders, especially women … Not much scientific research is done with women in mind so I’m here to disrupt that trend and advocate for women and minorities in product research, especially when those innovations are focusing on medical health.”

Kayleen hopes impact lives in her future career and to help as many as possible in a low-cost and accessible format. “My multicultural background and higher education will allow me to address cultural nuances in engineering and give me the opportunity to advocate for inclusive, diverse and sustainable methodologies in the industry,” she said.

With a eye toward paying it forward, she hopes to someday create her own scholarship and help at least one other woman applying to graduate school as a master’s or Ph.D. student.

Ruchi Gupta hopes to help communities with her degree

Louisan Mamer Fellowship winner Ruchi Gupta likens her return to school to pursue a doctorate degree in business administration to playing her second inning. The degree, which she is pursuing at National Louis University, is the latest in a list of impressive academic achievements. She’s previously earned a Master of Public Policy and Administration from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas; an MBA from the University of Notre Dame; and a Bachelor of Engineering; Electronics and Communication from Institution of Engineers in Mumbai, India.

“My doctorate program is designed to bridge the gap between academic research and practical application, especially at the intersection of policy, business, and technology,” Ruchi said. “This unique blend of disciplines provides a comprehensive framework for addressing complex community and business challenges.”

Among those challenges is how business and policy can converge to advance sustainability. “This approach goes beyond traditional business metrics, ensuring that economic growth doesn’t come at the expense of social equity and environmental health,” she said.

Ruchi developed a digital action framework for governments that was presented at the World Telecommunication Development Conference in Rwanda in June 2022. She interned at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a policy think tank in Washington, D.C. While there, she researched and collaborated with U.S. Agency for International Development officials and policy fellows on key issues like artificial intelligence in emerging economies, closing the digital divide and cyberspace corruption.

Ruchi is also interested in renewable energy and climate change trends. “I intend to bring my technology expertise and comprehensive experience in the renewable energy space to help small businesses cope better with policy regulations and their carbon emissions.”