Butler Rural Electric Cooperative awards Dr. Gene Willeke Institute for the Environment and Sustainability Scholarship

 Trevor Russell, DR. GENE WILLEKE INSTITUTE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT

Butler Rural Electric Cooperative has a long-standing relationship with Miami University’s Institute for the Environment and Sustainability, or IES, graduate program. This relationship helps the cooperative stay informed on environmental issues.

The IES educates students through programs in environmental science and sustainability and provides leadership in areas of research and outreach that address environmental problems and promote a more sustainable society. The IES has completed several projects for the cooperative in the past that focused on dual fuel, geothermal, and solar energy.

The relationship between the cooperative and the IES began thanks to Dr. Gene Willeke, former director of Miami University’s Institute of Environmental Sciences, which is now the IES. He served as the institute’s director from 1977 to 2004 and retired in 2005. Gene received the Benjamin Harrison Medal from Miami University, which is one of the most significant recognitions the university offers to faculty for contributions attesting to qualities of teaching, research, and service. Gene passed away Jan. 31, 2016.

Butler Rural Electric Cooperative awards a $3,000 scholarship to a student in the IES program each year. In 2016, the cooperative named the IES scholarship the Dr. Gene Willeke Institute for the Environment and Sustainability Scholarship to honor Gene and his commitment to the school and the cooperative.

2024 IES scholarship recipient

Trevor Russell is this year’s recipient of the $3,000 Dr. Gene Willeke Institute for the Environment and Sustainability Scholarship from Butler Rural Electric Cooperative. Trevor is a mechanical engineering student focusing on energy and the environment. He has a bachelor of arts degree in economics, sustainability, and society from Xavier University, where he also studied criminal justice.

After graduation, Trevor would like to move back to his hometown of Indianapolis, Indiana, and enter a career that benefits the local community. His goal is to gain foundational skills to use in the environmental workspace. Trevor’s favorite hobbies include playing ultimate Frisbee and reading.