Building Georgia’s Future Mobility Workforce
Designed to strengthen Georgia’s electric mobility workforce, the GNEM Summer Exchange Fellows Program pairs students from colleges and universities across the state with University of Georgia faculty mentors. Launched in 2025 by Gabrielle Pierre and Justin Conrad, the program returned for its second year under the leadership of Ryan Powers, GNEM Research Partner Group Lead and Director of the Benson-Bertsch Center for International Trade & Security, and continues to expand international workforce development opportunities. Throughout the summer, fellows gain hands-on research experience while contributing to projects spanning electric mobility, sustainability, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, transportation policy, and next-generation engineering systems.
The Summer Exchange Fellows Program builds on the momentum of GNEM’s broader Student Research Fellows Programs, which since Fall 2024 have welcomed more than 25 undergraduate and graduate fellows from nine institutions, including Georgia Tech, Georgia State, Georgia Gwinnett College, and Fort Valley State University, and working with 12 faculty mentors across six schools, colleges, and units. Many students have returned for multiple terms, a sign of the program’s lasting value. It reflects GNEM’s ongoing commitment to preparing tomorrow’s workforce through interdisciplinary collaboration, experiential learning, and statewide partnerships, and we look forward to the impact these fellows will have on Georgia’s rapidly growing electric and future mobility ecosystem.
