UT PGE Team Places 2nd in Global Energy Case Competition
December 16, 2024
A team of four Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering (UT PGE) students won second place and $7,000 in prize money in the global Switch Energy Alliance (SEA) Case Competition held in November. Team Quwa — Danya Almohammed (BSPE 2026); Mohamed Awad (PhD PE 2025); Sara Al Lawati (BSPE 2026); and Lina Al Khowaiter (BSPE 2026) — competed virtually against 150 teams and 600 students.
In this year’s competition, Team Quwa developed a comprehensive energy transition plan for Egypt that aimed to address the country’s energy poverty challenges while promoting sustainability, reducing carbon emissions and diversifying the energy mix in the country. By aligning their plan with Egypt’s Vision 2030, they proposed innovative, long-term solutions to improve energy reliability and affordability and reduce environmental impact. The team also explored the feasibility of applying their proposed energy plan in Turkey.
“This experience was both challenging and incredibly rewarding as we built and refined our case from the ground up,” says Al Lawati. “We pushed through multiple rounds of rigorous review and had the opportunity to present our work to distinguished global leaders in the energy sector. I am immensely proud of this achievement.”
“This journey was both intellectually enriching and personally fulfilling,” agrees Awad. “Through the case competition, we had an opportunity to contribute meaningful ideas to address a critical global issue.”
Quwa: Empowering Change
Quwa is an Arabic word (قوة) that can be translated as power or strength in English. It broadly refers to physical, mental or moral strength, as well as influence or the ability to effect change. “The word is often used colloquially in Arabic to refer to energy sources and is therefore a particularly relevant team name,” says Al Khowaiter. “In the context of this competition, our team name symbolizes empowering change in countries facing energy poverty and effecting change in the energy industry as a whole.”
“Leading Team Quwa was a journey of growth and collaboration, where each challenge pushed us to think critically and innovate boldly,” says Almohammed. “For me, quwa embodies the strength to rise, to create positive change and to showcase how our industry is seamlessly integrated into every aspect of life. This achievement marks a significant milestone, and I am eager to build on this growth to create an even greater impact in the future.”
About the Case Competition
The goal of the SEA Case Competition is to shape the next generation of energy leaders by engaging talented university students in solving real-world energy challenges. Teams of 3 to 4 students, including at least two undergraduates, create and submit a PowerPoint and 15-minute video that is judged in a preliminary and semifinals round by experts in academia and the energy industry. In the final round, the top five teams present their case studies live and answer questions from the panel of judges.
The Hildebrand Department has helped sponsor SEA’s Case Competition since it began five years ago. Professor Jon E. Olson currently sits on the SEA Faculty Advisory Council (FAC), a group of diverse academic professionals who represent a broad range of departmental foci and geographic demographics. The FAC helps build SEA’s outreach to universities domestically and internationally; recruit teams, mentors and judges for the Case Competition; and communicate the opportunity to other faculty members around the world.
Dig Deeper
- Meet more of our exceptional undergraduate and graduate students.
- Get involved in one of our student organizations.
- Apply to our top-ranked undergraduate or graduate petroleum engineering programs.
A team of four Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering (UT PGE) students won second place and $7,000 in prize money in the global Switch Energy Alliance (SEA) Case Competition held in November. Team Quwa — Danya Almohammed (BSPE 2026); Mohamed Awad (PhD PE 2025); Sara Al Lawati (BSPE 2026); and Lina Al Khowaiter (BSPE 2026) — competed virtually against 150 teams and 600 students.
In this year’s competition, Team Quwa developed a comprehensive energy transition plan for Egypt that aimed to address the country’s energy poverty challenges while promoting sustainability, reducing carbon emissions and diversifying the energy mix in the country. By aligning their plan with Egypt’s Vision 2030, they proposed innovative, long-term solutions to improve energy reliability and affordability and reduce environmental impact. The team also explored the feasibility of applying their proposed energy plan in Turkey.
“This experience was both challenging and incredibly rewarding as we built and refined our case from the ground up,” says Al Lawati. “We pushed through multiple rounds of rigorous review and had the opportunity to present our work to distinguished global leaders in the energy sector. I am immensely proud of this achievement.”
“This journey was both intellectually enriching and personally fulfilling,” agrees Awad. “Through the case competition, we had an opportunity to contribute meaningful ideas to address a critical global issue.”
Quwa: Empowering Change
Quwa is an Arabic word (قوة) that can be translated as power or strength in English. It broadly refers to physical, mental or moral strength, as well as influence or the ability to effect change. “The word is often used colloquially in Arabic to refer to energy sources and is therefore a particularly relevant team name,” says Al Khowaiter. “In the context of this competition, our team name symbolizes empowering change in countries facing energy poverty and effecting change in the energy industry as a whole.”
“Leading Team Quwa was a journey of growth and collaboration, where each challenge pushed us to think critically and innovate boldly,” says Almohammed. “For me, quwa embodies the strength to rise, to create positive change and to showcase how our industry is seamlessly integrated into every aspect of life. This achievement marks a significant milestone, and I am eager to build on this growth to create an even greater impact in the future.”
About the Case Competition
The goal of the SEA Case Competition is to shape the next generation of energy leaders by engaging talented university students in solving real-world energy challenges. Teams of 3 to 4 students, including at least two undergraduates, create and submit a PowerPoint and 15-minute video that is judged in a preliminary and semifinals round by experts in academia and the energy industry. In the final round, the top five teams present their case studies live and answer questions from the panel of judges.
The Hildebrand Department has helped sponsor SEA’s Case Competition since it began five years ago. Professor Jon E. Olson currently sits on the SEA Faculty Advisory Council (FAC), a group of diverse academic professionals who represent a broad range of departmental foci and geographic demographics. The FAC helps build SEA’s outreach to universities domestically and internationally; recruit teams, mentors and judges for the Case Competition; and communicate the opportunity to other faculty members around the world.
Dig Deeper
- Meet more of our exceptional undergraduate and graduate students.
- Get involved in one of our student organizations.
- Apply to our top-ranked undergraduate or graduate petroleum engineering programs.
