At Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU), students are peering through advanced microscopes and collaborating with global innovators at Bloom Energy to help unlock the secrets of clean energy. Now beginning its third year, a groundbreaking collaboration between Bloom Energy and the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities Center for Nanotechnology (CNT) at SCSU is giving students a front-row seat to the future of sustainable energy and, in the process, transforming their careers and fueling real-world innovation.
Real-World Research, Real-World Impact
Every other Friday, SCSU students and faculty join virtual meetings with engineers from Bloom Energy, a California-based global leader in power solutions that leverage fuel cell technology. These sessions offer a rare opportunity to work shoulder-to-shoulder with a global clean energy company—no passport required.
This partnership enables undergraduate and graduate students to contribute to cutting-edge nanotechnology research with immediate industry relevance, while providing Bloom Energy with valuable insights into the long-term performance of fuel cell materials.
Cracking the Code of Fuel Cell Performance and Longevity
A key focus of the CNT-Bloom Energy collaboration is the study of nanoscale processes that occur within fuel cell stacks during operation. Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), which generate electricity from hydrogen through high-temperature electrochemical reactions, offer a cleaner alternative to combustion-based energy. However, extreme heat and reactive environments lead to internal changes that can degrade performance over time.
Southern students are helping to investigate these changes. Using advanced tools such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), they generate high-resolution images and compositional data that inform critical science and engineering questions.
“Utilizing the advanced instrumentation capabilities available through the CNT at SCSU, and working side-by-side with SCSU students, technicians, and faculty, Bloom Energy is advancing understanding of materials and microstructure evolution during fuel cell operation.” said Nick Geisendorfer, a Bloom Energy engineer. “The collaboration is also a fantastic opportunity to help develop the next generation of engineers and scientists by providing exposure to industrial research projects.”
“Partnering with SCSU has helped Bloom Energy to delve deeper into the fundamentals of electrochemistry in fuel cells as well as catalyst materials,” said Manoj Pillai, an engineer working at Bloom Energy. “The unique aspect of this collaboration is the full commitment of SCSU faculty and staff and students from relevant majors, such as material science, physics, chemistry and others, meeting biweekly with an equally committed team at Bloom Energy, supported by the leadership team at Bloom Energy. These virtual working meetings enable exchange of ideas, discussion of data in detail, and in depth investigation into the complex mechanisms that drive the fuel cell performance over long periods of operation.”
Empowering the Next Generation of Scientists
The Bloom Energy research sponsorship is a launchpad for student success. All past participants have advanced to prestigious graduate programs or secured roles as STEM educators, inspiring the next generation. Through bi-weekly collaborations with Bloom Energy professionals, students master technical skills and build confidence in presenting ideas and responding to feedback. For Maggie Blanchard, a junior majoring in physics and mathematics at Southern, the chance to be part of the Bloom Energy project has been transformative.
“It is so exciting to be part of a research team partnered with such an impactful industry partner like Bloom Energy,” said Blanchard. “We get constructive feedback, brainstorm new ideas, and are treated like colleagues. It’s an experience I could never imagined having at the undergraduate level.”
Blanchard has gained hands-on experience in Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), a key compositional analysis technique, and developed confidence presenting scientific findings in a collaborative setting.
“I’ve learned how to use high-level instruments and communicate my results clearly—skills that will help me well into the future.”
Andriy Grynyk, who graduated with a chemistry degree from Southern and is now a medical student at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, spent over a year on one Bloom Energy project. “I worked with TEM to image fuel cell components to assist with determining how the nanostructure changes with use over time,” Grynyk recalled. “That experience shaped the kind of research I want to do now in medicine. The microscopy, writing, and analysis skills I’ve gained have been invaluable.”
Hands-On Experience with Advanced Instrumentation
At Southern’s CNT, even early-career undergraduates are trained to operate instruments typically reserved for Ph.D. students or postdocs at major research universities.
“We’ve always believed that younger students are ready for this kind of responsibility,” said Dr. Christine Broadbridge who is professor of physics and executive director of Research and Innovation while also directing the CNT. “By engaging them early, we give them a head start—not only in their academic paths but also in understanding how science and engineering can serve society.”
That early engagement has already led to major academic success stories. Carey Ciaburri, a graduate of Southern’s Professional Science Master’s in Applied Physics program, is now pursuing a Ph.D. in geology and geophysics at Yale University.
“Working with Bloom Energy taught me how to collaborate across disciplines and communicate technical findings to both scientists and business professionals,” said Ciaburri. “It gave me a competitive edge when applying to doctoral programs.”
Fueling Campus Sustainability and Student Success
Most Southern students don’t realize that their own campus is home to four industrial-grade hydrogen fuel cells—grey, refrigerator-sized units quietly humming near Earl Hall and the Wintergreen Garage. These 2-megawatt solid-oxide systems, developed and operated by Bloom Energy, generate 60% of the university’s electricity annually. The result? Low-carbon, affordable energy and hundreds of thousands of dollars in annual savings at Southern.
Now, the CNT-Bloom Energy collaboration is doing for students what the fuels cells are doing for campus—providing sustained, long-term power. With industry-aligned training, hands-on experience, and a direct connection to a global clean energy leader, Southern’s next generation of scientists is lighting the way forward.
About Southern Connecticut State University
SCSU is a hub of innovation, committed to hands-on learning and preparing students to tackle global challenges. The CSCU Center for Nanotechnology fosters cutting-edge research and industry partnerships to drive progress in science and sustainability.
About Bloom Energy
Bloom Energy empowers enterprises to meet soaring energy demands and responsibly take charge of their power needs. The company’s fuel cell system provides ultra-resilient, highly scalable onsite electricity generation for Fortune 500 companies around the world, including data centers, semiconductor manufacturing, large utilities, and other commercial and industrial sectors. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, Bloom Energy has deployed 1.5 GW of low-carbon power across more than 1,200 installations globally.
