---
title: "EPCE Learner Success Story: Vincent (Vin) O’Connell"
description: Vincent O’Connell’s journey highlights the benefits of EPCE online education in advancing his career at Holyoke Gas & Electric.
---

[EPCE | News ](https://blog.epceonline.org/in-the-news)

# [EPCE Learner Success Story: Vincent (Vin) O’Connell](https://blog.epceonline.org/in-the-news/epce-learner-success-story-vincent-vin-oconnell)

 Written by [EPCE](https://blog.epceonline.org/in-the-news/author/epce) | 05/28/2025

**      **

#### Vincent (Vin) O’Connell 

*Master of science in power systems management *

 Senior electrical engineer   
Holyoke Gas & Electric (APPA member)

Vincent O’Connell has spent nearly two decades in the energy industry in a variety of positions including distributed energy resource engineer and electrical engineer. Currently, he is a senior electrical engineer at Holyoke Gas & Electric in Massachusetts. “My responsibilities include supervision, project management, electric distribution design engineering and operations, distributed generation interconnections, and metering. I also oversee preventative maintenance programs, procurement, and various transmission and substation activities,” he said. 

He was aware of the EPCE-sponsored online programs through Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) from his previous employer, and knew he always wanted to earn his master’s degree. “Working for a municipal utility means wearing a lot of different hats and handling a wide range of responsibilities. This program covers topics that directly apply to my role as an electrical engineer, making it a great fit for expanding my knowledge and growing both as an engineer and supervisor,” Vin said. He added, **“The power systems program at WPI stood out because it’s specifically designed for the electric utility industry—something most universities don’t offer. It’s rare to find a program with courses focused on utility-based activities and functions.”**

This was Vincent’s first experience with online education, as commuting an hour to campus every day after work wasn’t feasible or practical. He noted it was a bit of an adjustment at first: “Since everything was remote—from team meetings to office hours with professors—I had to get acclimated to online learning, but once I started working with other students on projects, I was able to build some level of collaboration, and that made a big difference.”  

Vincent has seen how the program has benefited his career in multiple ways, saying, **“This program provided a more in-depth understanding of certain power system concepts that I had minimal experience with before. The program also helped me to adjust to a more managerial role at my company. The variety of courses gave me valuable insight into areas I wouldn’t have explored otherwise. It also deepened my understanding of topics I thought I was already familiar with, like finance, project management, and transmission systems.”**

[View full post](https://blog.epceonline.org/in-the-news/epce-learner-success-story-vincent-vin-oconnell)

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