Civil & Environmental Engineering senior Alex Ratcliff has worked to increase solar power capacity at the University of Washington throughout his time as a student. Since joining the UW Solar student group as a freshman, Ratcliff has helped oversee new solar installations on the residence halls Maple, Alder and Elm, as well as working on solar installations for the new Life Sciences building.
Ratcliff's experience with bringing solar power to UW was recently featured by UW Civil and Environmental Engineering. From the story:
When Ratcliff arrived on campus as a freshman, he wasn’t an expert on solar power. His involvement in UW Solar was serendipitous, thanks to a flyer he picked up at a career fair during his first quarter on campus. Since then, his passion for a more sustainable campus, and world, has continued to grow.
“I think it’s the most beneficial thing that could have happened to me,” Ratcliff said about his involvement in UW Solar. “Climate change is the greatest threat to human security and health, and I have always wanted to pursue a career that allows me to mitigate or even reverse the effects.”