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Six electrical engineering students at �ձ�av��Ƶ are among 244 students nationwide to have been selected for a prestigious scholarship in the power and energy field.

Students selected to receive the Power and Energy Society Scholarship Plus Award from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers are described as “high achievers with strong GPAs with distinctive extracurricular commitments and are committed to exploring the power and energy field.”&�Բ�����; The awards are for $3,000, except three-time recipients receive $4,000.

The IEEE is the world’s largest technical professional organization with 500,000 members in more than 190 nations and 189,000 student members.

The �ձ�av��Ƶ selections are Nick Erickson, Nick Ankrum, Cole Brown, Cyrus Nelson, Jaxon Lohnes and Connor Delehant.

The power and energy program at �ձ�av��Ƶ continues to be one of the top in the nation. In the Midwest region, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was the only other school with six selections. Peer institutions Iowa State and the University of Nebraska had five and two, respectively.

�ձ�av��Ƶ is one of just three schools which has had at least one Power and Energy Society Scholar selected each year since 2011, the first year of the IEEE-PES Scholarship Plus program.

Steve Hietpas, an �ձ�av��Ƶ electrical engineering professor who directs the Center for Power Systems Studies at �ձ�av��Ƶ, said, “The significant number of of IEEE-PES scholarship recipients from �ձ�av��Ƶ reflect the high caliber of students pursuing the electrical engineering degree and the strength of the power and energy faculty, resources and curriculum within the McComish Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science as well as the strong connection between the 27 industry members of the Center for Power Systems Studies in our students.

“The numerous internships provided by Center for Power System Studies members provide valuable field experience for our students, who are then able to do better in the classroom. In turn, these industry members have very well-trained students to hire upon their graduation.”

Student profiles

• Erickson, a senior, is the son of Joel and Heidi Erickson, of Pierce, Nebraska, and is a 2022 graduate of Pierce High School.

At �ձ�av��Ƶ, he holds a 3.66 GPA and serves as secretary for Gamma Rho, �ձ�av��Ƶ’s chapter of Eta Kappa Nu, the honor society of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. He also has been inducted into Pi Mu Epsilon, the mathematics honor society at �ձ�av��Ƶ.

For his senior design project, he is working with classmate Nick Ankrum on a theoretical system impact study for adding a 180 megawatt-data center on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.

Erickson is a three-time recipient of the Power and Energy Society Scholar award.

This summer he interned with Nebraska Public Power District in Columbus, Nebraska, working with the system protection and controls and automation departments and has continued in this role part time during the academic year. In summer 2024, he interned with MidAmerican Energy in Sioux City, Iowa, in substation operations.

After graduation in May 2026, he will join Nebraska Public Power District full time as an electrical engineer in North Platte, Nebraska.

In addition to the academics, he played trombone with The Pride of the Dakotas Marching Band for three years. That took him to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City and two national championship football games in Frisco, Texas.

• Ankrum, a senior, is the son of Chuck and Claudette Ankrum of Tracy, Minnesota, and a 2022 graduate of Tracy-Milroy-Balaton High School.

At �ձ�av��Ƶ, he holds a 3.57 GPA, is president of Eta Kappa Nu, vice chair of the �ձ�av��Ƶ chapter of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and a member of Pi Mu Epsilon and the men's club soccer team. Additionally, he participates in intramural volleyball, basketball and soccer.

In the summer, he had an electrical engineer internship at TSP in Sioux Falls, where he edited and updated electrical drawings and schematics using Revit software. In summer 2024, he had an internship as an electric distribution engineer at MidAmerican Energy in Sioux City, Iowa, where he provided cost estimates, designs, work instructions and coordination for modifications or replacement of electric distribution facilities.

He hopes to find a career in the power and energy industry.

• Brown, a fourth-year junior, is the son of Dianna Brown of Milbank and the late Richard Brown and a 2022 graduate of Milbank High School.

At �ձ�av��Ƶ, he holds a 3.912 GPA and is a member of Tau Beta Pi (engineering) and Eta Kappa Nu (electrical engineering) honor societies as well as being a five-time dean’s list selection. Brown also participates in the choir at the Newman Center and does volunteer work with the Knights of Columbus.

He also has been a physics research intern at �ձ�av��Ƶ from summer 2023 through spring 2025. This summer he interned at East River Electric in Madison. In summer 2026, he will intern at Wurth Elektronik in Watertown.

After completing degrees in physics and electrical engineering, Brown hopes to find a job in industry near his hometown. 

• Nelson, a junior, is the son of Bill and Barb Nelson of Minneapolis and a 2023 graduate of Concordia Academy.

At �ձ�av��Ƶ, he holds a 3.8 GPA and is vice president of finance for the Robotics Club and a member of the IEEE and Eta Kappa Nu chapters. He also was named Sophomore of the Year by �ձ�av��Ƶ’s IEEE chapter.

In summer 2024 he interned at TUV SUD, a German inspection/certification company, as an electromagnetic compatibility engineering intern in New Brighton, Minnesota, and in summer 2025 he interned at Xcel Energy as a system protection engineering intern in Minneapolis.

In summer 2026, he will intern at Xcel Energy as a substation communications intern in Denver. He plans to continue in the power and energy industry after graduation.

• Lohnes, a junior, is the son of Shawn and Kristin Lohnes of Sioux Falls and a 2023 graduate of Jefferson High School.

At �ձ�av��Ƶ, he holds a 3.76 GPA, has been on the dean’s list three times and was a finalist for Sophomore of the Year by �ձ�av��Ƶ’s IEEE chapter. He also is active in the Oasis ministry and worship team at GracePoint Church in Brookings.

He has had internships at Malloy Electric, summer 2024, and Interstates engineering, summer 2025, both of Sioux Falls. Next summer, he will work for Ulteig in Sioux Falls. 

• Delehant, a junior, is the son of Bill and Liz Delehant of Mitchell and a 2023 graduate of Mitchell High School. 

At �ձ�av��Ƶ, he is a dean’s list student with a 3.9 GPA and a member of Tau Beta Pi honor society. In January, he will become president of the �ձ�av��Ƶ chapter of Tau Beta Pi. Delehant also participates in intramural volleyball and works at Daktronics during the school year. 

He had a summer internship at Daktronics in Brookings and next summer will have an internship at Raven in Sioux Falls. His career plans are to stay in South Dakota and eventually work in power electronic design.