Abstract
The Renewable Energy and Island Sustainability (REIS) group was formed in 2009 and provides an innovative multidisciplinary education and research program for graduate and undergraduate students. This paper discusses the different facets of the program including the graduate curriculum, research projects, opportunities for undergraduate students, and outreach. A goal of the program is to develop workforce in energy and sustainability for Hawai`i, the United States, and globally. We discuss a multidisciplinary research project from the REIS group, the University of Hawaii smart sustainable microgrid project. The project works to develop an energy management plan for the University of Hawaii by using distributed renewable energy sources and incorporating energy efficiency practices (conserving energy and demand side management). The project provides students opportunities to perform multidisciplinary research and work on a real testbed system.
