On October 18, the University of Houston was back at Energy Day 2025, the city’s largest free festival celebrating science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
Founded in 2011, Energy Day is hosted by the Consumer Energy Education Foundation (CEEF) and the Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA). These organizations joined forces to celebrate STEM careers in the energy industry and highlight career possibilities.
Along with other UH departments, UH Energy has played a leading role at Energy Day over the years, a reflection of the University’s commitment to advancing the energy landscape through innovation, education, and community engagement.
“UH Energy has been a proud partner of the Consumer Energy Alliance in Energy Day for many years. It is a meaningful and much anticipated occasion for the UH Energy community to connect with the greater Houston community and the next generation about the opportunities and challenges in shaping a bright and abundant energy future,” said Ramanan Krishnamoorti, Vice President for Energy and Innovation at UH.
At the event, UH faculty, researchers, and student volunteers used exhibits and outreach programs to connect with students and their parents, showing how they can find exciting career opportunities in the energy industry through STEM education.
UH Physics, the Cullen College of Engineering, UH STEM Center, Texas Center for Superconductivity, along with many other UH departments, provided kids with an opportunity to get an inside look into the world of energy with hands-on activities.
Greg Morrison, from UH Physics, has been attending Energy Day the last five years. He said, “I really enjoy interacting with kids. I think they get excited about physics in a way that really gives them the opportunity to think about science in the future. And it’s also a great way for parents to become aware of UH as an institution that they should be thinking about for their kids.”
Karoline Mueller from Texas Center for Superconductivity at the University of Houston said that community events like Energy Day are important because they bring “the university closer to the public and it’s important to have that connection.” She continued, “The public gets to understand what science is all about and what exciting things we can do with it.”
Vidhi, a UH PhD student who volunteered at the event, was excited to attend Energy Day for the second year running. She said, “I love being out here and motivate kids to take up science in the future because there are so many fantastic opportunities in it, and specifically in energy.”
A highlight at this year’s UH tent was an interactive demonstration organized by the Texas Industrial Energy Efficiency Program (TIEEP), which used common household items to explain the process of distillation. “We wanted to make a fundamental concept like distillation accessible and engaging for young learners,” said Gary Gildert, who heads TIEEP. “Using simple, everyday household items, we showed how energy is used to purify water in a way that was both fun and easy to understand. The students really connected with it, and their excitement made all our efforts worth it.”
By supporting initiatives like Energy Day that encourage young learners to engage with STEM, the University of Houston reaffirms its commitment to long-term investment in shaping the future of energy.