MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: THOMAS SHERMAN

Could you tell us who you are and what it is that you do?

My name is Thomas Sherman and I work as an environmental scientist for an Energy Software Analytics company called Enverus.  I work in the renewable energy division and my job is forecasting how much wind and solar power will be generated over the upcoming days, sort of like a meteorologist for wind/solar farms.

What do you love most about the work?

I enjoy looking at the weather across the United States and creating algorithms that can give better predictions. I also love working with customers and getting to know their backstories. We work with a lot of groups that buy/sell power and the path to get there is often times unusual and interesting.

How did you arrive at this point in your career? What’s your backstory?

I did my PhD in Environmental Modeling, basically using math/physics to understand how the oceans and atmosphere behave. After my PhD, I started my own little company focused on wind and solar power forecasting. We grew over time and joined Enverus in the summer of 2023. I’ve always enjoyed all things outdoors and so prior to graduate school I did a lot of things outdoors related.

Has there been a light switch moment, a turning point, professionally &/or personally along the way?

I think realizing that when you create your own company, you can run it how you would like was a big turning point. I was able to get very creative with how to sign up customers and enjoyed the freedoms that you get when working on your own projects.

 What are you currently working on, excited about, looking forward to?

I am currently working on forecasting wind and solar energy at long term time horizons, making forecasts +1 year. I'm excited, because I am starting to look at climate trends, which I never have. The problem is very different than short term forecasts, because you have to account for the fact that the US infrastructure is changing and climate is changing, so it’s a challenging problem.

What's inspiring you these days? What are you reading, watching, listening to?

I'm watching a lot of podcasts related to near death experiences and spirituality; a series about Mars exploration called Away. I listen to mostly 60/70s rock/folk rock and country music.

What do you enjoy most about being here at Studio IX?

I like the people. I have been at Studio IX for about a year and it is nice to have regulars who you can chat with.