UK College of Engineering Receives $25,000 Gift from GE

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 23, 2015) — The University of Kentucky College of Engineering was recently presented with a $25,000 gift from GE as part of its Edison Award program. The funds will support research focused on developing cost-effective zero energy housing.

In a zero energy home, a renewable energy system can offset all or most of its annual energy consumption. The funds will allow engineering students to learn about sustainable energy sources that can supplement the growing demand for larger power plants and could reduce negative impacts on the environment.

The Edison Awards, named after Thomas Edison, GE's founder and one of history's most prolific innovators, are presented each year to individuals from across GE who demonstrate technical excellence, customer impact and organizational citizenship. Edison Award recipients receive a $25,000 grant to fund research at the university of their choice.

Tim Worthington, a 2015 Edison Award recipient and technology manager at GE, chose his alma mater, the UK College of Engineering. Worthington graduated from UK in 1982 with a degree in electrical engineering. At UK, Worthington also met his wife of 31 years. His oldest daughter graduated from the university in 2012 and his youngest daughter is currently a junior at UK. 

"I have a lifetime of ties to UK through sports and education," Worthington said.

Worthington has been working with the College of Engineering for several years on various projects, including the Solar Decathlon project and as part of the Power and Energy Institute of Kentucky (PEIK) Advisory Board.

MEDIA CONTACT: Whitney Harder, 859-323-2396, whitney.harder@uky.edu