Introduction of Dr. Juliet Newson as new Director
Dr. Juliet Newson joins ISE
The Iceland School of Energy is excited to announce that Dr. Juliet Newson has joined as its new Director. Newson will fill the vacancy created by the departure of former director Halla Hrund Logadóttir in July, earlier this year.
Juliet Newson comes to Iceland from the New Zealand geothermal industry and the International Geothermal Association, where she has been involved in tertiary-level energy education both in New Zealand, and internationally.
Since 2011 Juliet has been a geothermal reservoir modeling engineer for Contact Energy Ltd, working in close co-operation with reservoir modeling researchers at the University of Auckland. Prior to 2011 she was the original co-organizer of the Postgraduate Certificate in Geothermal Energy Technology for the University of Auckland, New Zealand. She has managed and delivered many other geothermal courses, including the Short Courses for the International Geothermal Association World Geothermal Congress 2015.
Juliet has also been involved in many other aspects of the geothermal industry, including geology, geothermal surface feature mapping, monitoring and modelling, reservoir and wellbore simulation, geological modelling and resource evaluation. However, her strong belief that education is the key to progress both in a social and technological sense, has always led her to maintain strong links with academia.
Juliet also served the international geothermal industry as a Board member of the International Geothermal Association; where she was Chair of the Education Committee from 2010 to 2013. She held the office of President for the 2013 to 2016 Board term. During this time she developed an interest in the broader topic of the international transition to renewable energy and how this can be facilitated by the involvement of the tertiary education sector.
Over her career Juliet combined study, work, and motherhood, and together with her partner, Harry, has raised three children. Her experience as a mother working in engineering has led her to have a keen interest in workplace gender equality issues. She has been closely involved in the activities of the global group Women in Geothermal (WING).
In her role at Reykjavik University, Juliet will bring her passion for education and her wide experience in the geothermal industry and apply this in the interests of tertiary educational involvement in the renewable energy industry. At the same time, Juliet considers it a privilege to be able to enable people to increase their knowledge and improve their personal prospects through learning. She looks forward to close collaboration with industry to find innovative solutions to meet industry and social needs.
ISE and RU are delighted to have to such an experienced professional with a vast network from all around the globe join us here in Iceland.