From the lab & beyond
Research, fieldwork, recognition, and stories featuring the IDEAS community.
Ahana Mukherjee presented early results from SEER — Sustainable Electricity Expansion Roadmaps at the Open Source in Energy Access Symposium (OSEAS) in Kigali, Rwanda. The work supports more accessible power systems planning for a robust and sustainable energy transition.
Explore the SEER project
Aya Alayli presented the Cofán Tribal Energy Resilience project at the IEEE Global Humanitarian Technologies Conference in Boulder, Colorado. Her presentation received an Honorable Mention for best student poster. The project explores community-centered energy resilience with the Cofán people.
Aya’s research timeline
Kwame Donkor presented “Measuring the Value of Distribution-Level Data for Predicting Climate-Driven Grid Vulnerability” at the Rwanda Climate Science Symposium. His research examines how sensor coverage and historical outage and weather data affect graph neural network performance in predicting grid vulnerability.
Kwame’s research timeline
June Lukuyu was a panelist in the SETI 2026 plenary, “Beyond Vehicle Adoption: Building the Evidence Base for E-Mobility as a Driver of Economic Transformation.” Co-led by Duke University’s Energy Access Project (EAP) and the Sustainable Energy Transitions Initiative (SETI), the session explored evidence priorities for policy, investment, and implementation, using Kenya’s e-mobility transition as a case study.
Duke Energy Access Project · SETIJune Lukuyu served as a keynote speaker and mentor at Dartmouth’s 2026 New Energy Summer Summit in Hanover, New Hampshire. Hosted by the Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy & Society, the summit brought together early-career energy and climate scholars to build interdisciplinary connections and collaboration.
Dartmouth · Irving Institute
Rhiza Research and the University of Washington are featured in the Innovation Grants announcement for SEER, which aims to make power systems planning more accessible.
Climate Change AIJune Lukuyu and Kwame Donkor co-authored a policy memo with Mohini Bariya and Genevieve Flaspohler, sharing early findings on climate risk and unequal electricity disruptions in Accra.
Energy for Growth HubJune Lukuyu and collaborators explain how electric kettles are already helping households in Nairobi’s informal settlements move toward cleaner cooking.
NextBillionA UW-hosted poster by Erin Edlund, Aya Alayli, and June Lukuyu explores renewable energy and storage options for a community building in Ecuador.
UW ECE · Poster (PDF)
PhD student Eliane Nirere, was part of a field team collecting data for the Energy Transition Demand Modeling Study for Rwanda.
IDEAS Lab
June Lukuyu presented at the Stanford Smart Grid Seminar on using grid sensing and data analysis to strengthen electricity networks in data-scarce settings. Drawing on research in Accra, Ghana, the talk explored grid topology, technical losses, and how extreme weather affects service reliability in vulnerable communities.
Stanford Electrical Engineering · Smart Grid SeminarAhana Mukherjee received the Best ECE Research Award. Eliane Nirere and Kwame Donkor also presented their work on electricity demand and grid resilience.
IDEAS Lab
June Lukuyu joins a UW News Q&A about the experiences that inspired researchers to pursue their fields.
UW NewsPI Lukuyu participated in the Third U.S.-Africa Frontiers of Science, Engineering, and Medicine Symposium , held from February 18–20, 2025, in Kigali, Rwanda. Hosted by the U.S. National Academies in partnership with the Republic of Rwanda, the symposium brought together early- and mid-career researchers from across the U.S. and Africa to explore interdisciplinary solutions to global challenges. The event featured sessions on decarbonization, precision agriculture, biotechnology, space research, and smart cities, with opportunities for collaboration and knowledge exchange across borders and disciplines.
IDEAS Lab
We had the pleasure of participating in the annual eGUIDE retreat at the Rochester Institute of Technology, which provided a fantastic opportunity to connect with both new and returning eGUIDE members. The retreat commenced with an enlightening visit to the Niagara Power Vista, where attendees gained valuable insights into hydropower energy generation, followed by a visit to the breathtaking Niagara Falls State Park. During the retreat, Ahana and Kwame showcased their ongoing research through poster presentations, fostering engaging discussions among participants.
IDEAS Lab
June Lukuyu attended several events during NYC Climate Week , including Climate Change AI and Google DeepMind’s event, AI for Climate Action: From Data to Impact . At this event, she delivered a lightning talk titled " Enabling Smart Grids for Climate Resilience & Adaptation in Africa " to showcase their CCAI-sponsored project, alongside a panel discussion featuring collaborator Genevieve Flasplohler.
IDEAS LabMiquilina Anagbah led data collection for the project: Multi-Stakeholder Perspectives of Electric Bus Service in Kigali, Rwanda. in collaboration with students from the University of Rwanda, College of Science and Technology. We conducted surveys with about 800 electric and diesel bus passengers across Kigali to collect information on bus service satisfaction and perception of electric buses. This project is supported by BasiGO and USAID.
IDEAS Lab
We had the pleasure of welcoming Biniyam Gebreyohannes, a fellow from the UW Clean Energy Bridge to Research Program (CEBR), and Lillian Nguyen, a Clean Energy Institute ALVA fellow, for their Summer Research Experience. Biniyam explored how weather patterns affect Minigrid electricity behavior, drawing insights from the Katiirwe solar Minigrid in Western Uganda. Meanwhile, Lillian investigated Climate and Energy Injustice, focusing on racial and income disparities in access to indoor comfort. They were mentored by Ahana, Kwame, and Miquilina.
IDEAS Lab
UW ECE profiles June Lukuyu, the IDEAS research group, and its approach to connecting engineering with community needs.
UW ECE / The Integrator
The College of Engineering recognized Aya’s academic achievements, sustainable power systems research, and advocacy for equity in engineering.
UW College of EngineeringThe UW Center on Risk and Inclusion in Food Systems (CRIFS) launched with a workshop and learning event on risks facing small-scale agricultural producers. June Lukuyu joined the panel on commercialization and income diversification under risk, examining institutions, infrastructure, and the enabling environment. The learning event was co-hosted by CRIFS and the Gates Foundation.
UW Evans SchoolCMU-Africa’s graduation coverage celebrates Miquilina’s leadership, organizational skills, and research contributions through the Lakshmi Subramanian Student Excellence Award.
Carnegie Mellon University Africa
