EPCE Learner Success Story: Charles Thomas

Charles Thomas 

Master of science in power systems management
 

“My grandmother told me stories about her grandfather, Bunyon ‘William’ Smith, a carpenter in Sumter, South Carolina. He couldn’t read but could do math very well. Like a human calculator, he could remember numbers and figure out what measurement was needed to build whatever was in front of him. Now, more than 100 years later, I take pride in carrying forward his legacy, immersed in numbers, just as he once was.”

Charles Thomas has been drawn toward numbers and engineering since he was an intern at Central Hudson Gas & Electric in 2016, noting: “From my first substation visit, I can remember seeing a large one-line drawing, and at the time I didn’t know what a protection diagram was, but I was forever intrigued. From then on, I knew I wanted to become a protection engineer and cut through some of the complexity.” He began his career with Eversource Energy in the advanced forecasting side of system planning, and in his current role he conducts disturbance analyses, ensuring certain disturbances are reported to regional governing bodies.

Charles learned about WPI’s online master’s program in engineering from his company’s intranet and also knew coworkers who were enrolled in and/or completed the program. Those around him served as additional inspiration to his internal drive: “Many of my coworkers were ‘lifers’ and had been doing this since the 1960s, and some even knew and worked with engineers that developed technology that is in use today in protection and control systems. Hearing this made me ambitious; I knew if I learned, I could always ask questions and get a good explanation.”

“I wanted to be part of the WPI family,” Charles said, adding: “I appreciate WPI’s rigor in coursework; they really build you from the ground up with every class I’ve taken. Sometimes it can be information overload, but it takes time to really get a grasp on advanced concepts in electrical engineering.” Charles also appreciated how relevant and applicable the content was to his role, saying: “At times, I did homework for class and could directly apply the solution to a real problem in my career.”

Charles graduated in June of 2025. Asked if he recommends the program, he said, “I strongly recommend this program to anyone seeking growth. It will challenge you, but after all, isn’t life about rising to those challenges?”