People

Jonisha Aubain
Jonisha Aubain is a Mechanical Engineering PhD student working under Dr. Erin Baker and Dr. Krish Sharman. Her work is on the experimental design and construction of a reference tidal turbine to be tested in the Ocean Resources and Renewable Energy (ORRE) Lab. Connected to this, she is doing a techno-economic analysis of tidal energy being applied to her home, the US Virgin Islands, to replace the use of diesel power as an energy source.

Faustina Serwaa Sarfo
Faustina holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical/Electronic Engineering from KNUST in Ghana and an MSc in Renewable Energy Engineering from University of Aberdeen in Scotland. Currently pursuing a PhD in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research at UMass Amherst under Prof. Erin Baker,  her research focuses on developing metrics for an optimized energy system model for Ghana, emphasizing the integration of community perspectives for grid reliability, and improved electricity access for marginalized communities. With over seven years of experience in the energy, oil and gas sector, Faustina brings a practical perspective to the lab’s interdisciplinary research in energy transition.