Alison Fritz interned at CMI Affiliate National Energy Technology Laboratory and won first place for her poster presentation at the 2021 CMI Winter Meeting, based on her research with CMI 'Crosscutting Research' Focus Area on Techno-Economic Assessment (TEA) for extracting rare earth elements from coal feedstocks. Her poster was named “Technoeconomic Assessment for Extraction of Rare Earth Elements from Coal Feedstocks: A Case Study on Acid Mine Drainage.”
In March 2023, National Energy Technology Laboratory included her in celebrating Women's History Month, and noted that she had been hired as a research engineer: Alison Fritz, a research general engineer, began her NETL career about four years ago through the ORISE program. Her first assignment involved applying techno-economic analysis and statistical modeling to assess the economic viability of alternative rare earth element feedstocks. Six months ago, she accepted a full-time position as a research engineer on the Energy Process Analysis Team at NETL.
“It is critical that we include perspectives from all genders as we design an energy system for the future. Diverse groups have been shown to have higher performance in solving complex problems. Furthermore, a successful system should be designed with all members of society in mind, which requires diverse representation. I believe that mentorship is a successful way to attract and retain the diverse workforce we need; I would not be here today without my mentors. To pay it forward and encourage more women to pursue careers in STEM, I have participated in mentorship programs for high school and undergraduate students. I hope to continue these outreach efforts at NETL as a Mickey Leland mentor this summer and in the future throughout my career.”
Link to the full story: NETL Celebrates Women's History Month