NTU is pleased to announce that Electrical Engineering student Darrick Lee was named the 2018-2019 Student of the Year and will be recognized at the American Indian College Fund’s awards banquet on March 17, 2019 in Billings, MT.

Darrick served in the U.S. Marine Corps as a journeyman electrician before enrolling at NTU in 2013. Since then, Darrick has earned a certificate in Electrical Trades, an Associate of Applied Science degree in Energy Systems, and an Associate of Science in Mathematics. On May 17, 2019, Lee expects to be the first student to graduate with a concentration in Power & Energy in NTU’s Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering.

Darrick's research area is in solar powered micro grids, which has led him to develop a test system for his senior capstone project that has the potential of being implemented on the Navajo Nation. He has presented his research at international power and energy conferences at Georgia Tech and the University of Illinois Urbana Champagne, as well as at NTU’s 7th Annual Research Day.

In his free time, Lee volunteers as an animal rescuer and advocate at Soul Dog Rescue, Compassion Corner, and the Blackhat Humane Society. This spring break, Lee will put his education to use for the benefit of the Navajo Nation and will serve as a team lead for a community solar project with the Colorado-based company Grid Alternatives to install solar panels on houses in Ojo Encino, NM.

If you see Darrick on campus, please be sure to congratulate him on this tremendous honor!