Tracy Tunge's story - Construction Management and Engineering

Tracy Tunge completed her MSc Renewable Energy: Technology and Sustainability course in 2018.

After graduation, she joined the development charity Practical Action. Here, she applied the skills and knowledge honed during her studies to provide renewable, locally-sourced sustainable energy solutions which lift people out of poverty.

"The MSc at Reading provided a wide range of core modules and optional modules. This meant that I could not only learn about renewable energy technology, but also about other sustainable systems, carbon management, project management and even energy management in buildings."

Connected with industry

During her studies, Tracy benefited from the School of Construction Management and Engineering's links with industry.

"I really liked the fact that the MSc had a strong connection with the industry, which meant that we constantly used industrial reports in our learning and had lectures from professionals in the industry.

"I especially enjoyed going on site visits, where I got to see how the technologies I learned in the classroom were implemented on an industrial scale."

Real-life inspiration

Tracy's motivation to study the MSc was inspired by her own experiences growing up in Kenya.

"I lived without electricity for over 15 years of my life. The fact that I could learn how to harness energy from renewable natural resources that have always been around me really fascinated me.

"I wanted to learn how to design affordable, renewable energy systems that would be used to enable off-grid energy access to communities in developing countries such as mine."

Making a difference

Since graduating, Tracy has worked as a Technical Energy Analyst for a £10m Renewable Energy for Refugees project.

This project is led by Practical Action and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and supported by the IKEA Foundation. It aims to help refugees in Jordan and Rwanda and their host communities access finance, training, technology, and expertise to facilitate renewable energy access.

"I get to use the expertise learned from my MSc and dissertation at Reading to deliver renewable and sustainable energy access to refugees in different parts of the world, and make an impact in the humanitarian energy sector."

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