Amy Robertson

In this webinar, Amy Robertson, the group manager for offshore wind at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in the US, discussed the ongoing DEIA (A=Accessibility) initiatives within her center. She outlined the center's goals for the year, focusing on fostering a more inclusive and supportive work environment, and integrating energy justice and equity principles into research and engagement projects. Key activities involve conducting an employee questionnaire, enhancing engagement with diverse university students, implementing new mentorship approaches and employee support, and hosting an informational series on wind and energy justice.

PROGRAMME (TIMES IN CET)
15:00-15:10 Introduction (Sarah Barber)
15:10-15:40 Presentation “NREL Activities to Foster a More Inclusive and Supportive Work Environment”
Amy Robertson, Offshore Wind Group Manager – National Renewable Energy Laboratory
15:40-15:55 Questions and discussion
15:50-16:00 Summary of discussion and closing (Sarah Barber)

ABOUT Amy Robertson
Dr. Amy Robertson, the Offshore Wind Group Manager at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in the United States, has played a pivotal role since joining in 2010. Overseeing 30 staff and interns, she leads a spectrum of offshore wind initiatives, addressing both immediate and long-term goals to drive the commercialization of the U.S. offshore wind industry. As the task leader for the International Energy Agency (IEA) Wind Task 56, Dr. Robertson guides an international research project focused on verifying and validating offshore wind modeling tools. Simultaneously, she heads the DOE Offshore Wind System Design & Tool Validation project, concentrating on developing, validating, and demonstrating enhancements to offshore wind modeling tools for optimizing the next generation of offshore wind systems. Additionally, as the DEIA co-lead of the wind center, she contributes to fostering a more inclusive and supportive environment at the laboratory. Dr. Robertson is actively involved in conference organization, serving on the executive committee for ASME’s Ocean, Offshore, and Arctic Engineering Division.