Women’s presence in non-traditional sectors like energy remains minimal. A 2018 baseline study by the Women in Energy Network of Pakistan reveals that women represent just 4 percent of the workforce across 9 power utilities in the country.
Additionally, female students make up only 25 percent of those pursuing BSc and MSc degrees. Women occupy a mere 3 percent of technical roles in the 3 Independent Power Producers examined in the study.
A recent study shows that the Water and Power Development Authority employs 6 percent of women, with only 3.3 percent in technical positions. In distribution companies, women hold just 2 percent of the jobs, while the National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC) shows only 3 percent of its female staff in engineering roles.
In such a challenging landscape, Dr. Sara Sultan not only broke barriers by joining an untraditional field of energy system engineering but achieved several remarkable milestones.
Born and raised in Haripur, KPK, Sara completed her Master’s in Energy System Engineering from USPCASE NUST. She attended a semester exchange program at Oregon State University through a USAID project.
After graduating from USPCASE in 2017, she earned a prestigious fellowship by the U.S. Department of Energy to work at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) – the world’s biggest energy lab. She joined the Bredesen Center at the University of Tennessee (UTK) to pursue a Ph.D. in Energy Science and Engineering.
During her Ph.D., Sara’s groundbreaking research on thermal energy storage garnered numerous accolades. In 2022, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) honored her as a Linda Latham Scholar. That same year, she earned a spot as an innovator in Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s tech-to-market accelerator program, IMPEL.
Her research also captivated audiences at various conferences, earning her multiple nominations and awards for best student papers at the Herrick Conferences at Purdue University, Duke Energy Week, and the Southeastern Energy Conference at Georgia Tech.
Sara, currently a senior staff member in the Buildings Standards Branch of the California Energy Commission (CEC), leads the Building Envelope program, overseeing compliance and rule-making for California’s building energy code.
Sara’s innovative research on integrating thermal energy storage (TES) with heat pumps revolutionized her field. She explored novel system configurations to eliminate the need for additional space and controls. Collaborating with top scientists at ORNL through DOE-funded research, Sara developed and validated the first modular integrated system through full-scale experiments, aiming to set a new standard for TES technology. Her entrepreneurial spirit further led her to develop business models and engage in initiatives like ICORPS and Jump into STEM.
Beyond her research, Sara left a mark at the University of Tennessee through leadership and volunteer roles. As a Graduate Student Senator, she wrote legislation and advocated for initiatives including student housing and stipends, faculty-student mentoring programs, and the Office of IT Research support. She also served on the Student Advisory Council and mentored Bredesen Center students. Celebrated as a distinguished alumna, Sara delivered invited talks at the Bredesen Center and USPCASE NUST.
Dr. Sultan graduated with distinction from her Ph.D. program. In recognition of her academic and professional achievements, she was honored as the “2023 Volunteer of Distinction” by the provost. She proudly became the first Pakistani and NUST alumnus to graduate from the University of Tennessee – Oak Ridge Innovation Institute (UT-ORII).
Before joining the CEC, Sara served as a consultant to state energy efficiency councils in Rhode Island and Connecticut. She also founded SHEnergy LLC, an organization dedicated to empowering the next generation of leaders, with a focus on women in STEM.
Outside of her professional pursuits as a scientist and entrepreneur, Sara channels her creativity into writing and exploring the outdoors. She enjoys exploring scenic beaches and national parks, reflecting on her adventures through cinematography and blogging. She is also a mother to a 1-year-old boy, who keeps her on her toes.
Also Read: The Unfolding of Ongoing Derelict in Neglected Tropical Diseases in Pakistan
Saadeqa Khan is the founder, CEO, & Editor-in-Chief of Scientia Pakistan. She’s a member of the Oxford Climate Journalism Network (Second Cohort) and NASW. Saadeqa is a fellow of NPF Washington, The Falling Walls Foundation, and the Science Journalism Forum. Saadeqa has won several international journalism grants and awards for her reports.
