Holly Hitt-Zuniga, an architecture and interior design instructor at College of the Canyons, has been selected to represent the college and the National Science Foundation’s Center for Renewable Energy Advanced Technological Education (CREATE) in Iceland as part of a 10-person delegation of educators participating in an international education program focused on clean energy and electric transportation.

“I’m so proud to be representing COC on an international stage,” said Hitt-Zuniga. “I have never been to Iceland, and to be able to go and learn about the country’s green infrastructure with a group of sustainability educators will be amazing. A trip like this is project-based learning for industry professionals, and I look forward to advancing the curriculum in our architecture and interior design programs at College of the Canyons with the knowledge learned from this collaborative trip.”

The CREATE delegation will research the convergence of clean energy and electric transportation technologies by meeting with faculty from the University of Reykjavik, industry representatives, and Icelandic energy leaders and policy makers.

“I wish to congratulate Holly Hitt-Zuniga for this incredible opportunity to travel to Iceland and represent COC while learning more about clean energy and electric transportation,” said Chancellor Dr. Dianne G. Van Hook. “Holly’s passion for design is infectious. She firmly believes in what she does, and her students can sense that. Her students and colleagues will undoubtedly benefit from the invaluable insight and knowledge she will bring back to the classroom after this incredible experience.”

Participants will examine strategies and best practices used to integrate clean energy, electric transportation, energy storage, and charging infrastructure, while adapting educational programs to provide a skilled technical workforce.

The results of the project will be shared through various platforms serving both academia and the general public, to foster international collaboration on the global transition to clean energy and electric transportation.

CREATE’s mission is to produce a skilled technical workforce necessary to implement the transformation of the world’s energy industries. This mission is realized by empowering two-year college faculty and academic programs to champion new energy technologies and to ensure American competitiveness in this fast-changing sector.

The CREATE Center and the Icelandic International Project are funded by the National Science Foundation.

For more information about the interior design program at COC, please click here.