Drew grew up in Wisconsin, obtaining his Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Here he developed a special interest in energy and also obtained a certificate in Engineering Thermal Energy Systems. Immediately following his graduation in May of 2021, Drew moved to Texas to pursue a PhD at the University of Texas at Austin.
Drew obtained his PhD in November of 2025 with research interests in big picture energy systems and improving reliability of the power grid. He researched grid development scenarios and studied what efforts are needed to prepare for increasingly probable extreme weather events. The methods involved in this research are robust capacity expansion models of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and power grid infrastructure, which can be modified to explore specific case studies. These case studies are typically plans that involve grid interconnections, distributed energy resources, and storage options at utility and distributed scales.
Drew moved to a Postdoctoral Fellow position within the Webber Energy Group at the start of January 2026 and is actively pursuing his research interests in demand growth, transmission expansion, demand flexibility, and powering the AI era.
