Second-year MBA student Tom Melburn has been selected as one of OneEnergy Renewables’ OneEnergy Scholars for 2014 after being selected from a national pool to be recognized for his dedication to pursue clean-energy alternatives.

OneEnergy Renewables is a developer of large-scale clean-energy projects, and they partnered with sustainability non-profit Net Impact to select just seven students nationwide for recognition of their achievements in sustainability, as well as earning personalized career counseling from the companies, internship and networking opportunities. Other 2014 recipients came from Harvard University, the USC Marshall School of Business, Presidio Graduate School, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business and the Isenberg School of Management at UMass-Amherst.

Melburn, in a short profile on OneEnergy Renewables website, said “Climate change represents of of our society’s most difficult, overarching, and far-reaching problems ever faced. But I see an opportunity for innovation and collaboration that excites and intrigues me.

“My interests revolve around finding innovative financial mechanisms that allow capital to be infused into the emerging energy space,” he continued. “Through initiating new lines of financing and capital for early stage business startups and entrepreneeurs, we have the potential to completely  alter the future of energy generation and demand throughout the world.”

It was that dedication to addressing big-picture energy issues that made Melburn and his fellow honorees appeal to both OneEnergy Renewables and Net Impact in selecting the scholars class.

“These are extraordinary students, each of them,” said Bryce Smith, CEO of OneEnergy Renewables. “Their backgrounds and skills are varied and impressive, and each has demonstrated a deep personal commitment to renewable energy. The economic and environmental challenges we face are daunting, but this class of passionate and talented OneEnergy Scholars reminds me that we have the brainpower to heal our self-inflicted wounds.

Liz Maw, CEO of Net Impact, added that “this program is a tremendous opportunity for our student leaders to build crucial skills, deepen their understanding of the renewable energy field, and receive invaluable mentoring on their path to careers with sustainable impact.”