U-CREW Awards and Accolades
2025 AEE Lifetime Achievement Award
U-CREW Co-Director Julie Sieving received the 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Utah Chapter of the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) in recognition of her long-standing contributions to energy efficiency and workforce development. Julie has dedicated her career to mentoring the next generation of engineers through hands-on learning and practical field experience.
2023 ASHRAE Building EQ Student Competition
U‑CREW students received top honors in the 2023 ASHRAE Building EQ Student Competition for their energy audit of the Mountain America Exposition Center. Their winning analysis identified practical upgrades, such as improved HVAC scheduling and cooling tower optimization, that could save over 320,000 kWh and $51,430 annually. The team’s recommendations also significantly reduce emissions and improve the facility’s Building EQ score from 114 to 84.
2023 Excellence in Applied Energy Research
The U.S. Department of Energy ITAC program selected U-CREW students Blake Billings, Lesslie Moposita, and Sovit Bhetwal for the 2023 Student Excellence in Applied Research Award for their work on the development of a machine-learning basis for assessment of compressed air system performance conditions.
2022 Utah Business Magazine Green Business Award
In 2022, U-CREW (then known as the IIAC) was honored with a Utah Business Magazine Green Business Award in the Energy Conservation category. The recognition highlighted the center's role in helping Utah manufacturers improve energy efficiency and reduce environmental impact through detailed, on-site industrial energy assessments.
2020 ITAC Center of the Year Award
In 2020, the Industrial Training and Assessment Centers (ITAC) Program recognized the University of Utah as its Center of the Year, honoring the team’s leadership in advancing industrial efficiency, workforce training, and student engagement. This recognition reflects the center’s continued excellence in delivering high-quality technical assessments.
2020 Excellence in Applied Energy Research
The U.S. Department of Energy ITAC program selected U-CREW students Anne Dougherty, Blake Billings and Nestor Camacho for the 2020 Student Excellence in Applied Research Award for their work on improving the economics of industrial battery storage through the lens of a proactive policy and management approach.
2019 Excellence in Applied Energy Research
The U.S. Department of Energy ITAC program selected U-CREW students Landen Blackburn, Micale Ward, Derek Machalek, Christopher Hillam, and Jake Tuttle for the 2019 Student Excellence in Applied Research Award for their work on the omplementation of machine-learning-based optimization of industrial cooling towers.
2017 Career Services Faculty Recognition Award
Career Services at the University of Utah selected U-CREW's director, Dr. Kody Powell, for its Faculty Recognition Award. The awards are given to "outstanding faculty who have made significant contributions to their students professional development," based on nominations made by students.
