Rachel Zhang

Rachel Zhang is a Lecturer in the School of Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications at UNSW Sydney, specializing in power systems research with a focus on renewable energy integration and stability analysis. She leads innovative projects bridging electrical engineering with artificial intelligence methodologies.

Education:

• B.E. in Electrical Engineering, The University of Queensland (2009)
• PhD in Electrical Engineering, The University of Newcastle, Australia (2014)

Her research centers on developing data-driven and AI-based methodologies for power system stability assessment, planning, and control under high renewable energy penetration. Key focus areas include temporal-spatial data analytics for stability assessment, reinforcement learning applications for dynamic security analysis, and optimization of battery energy storage systems for grid integration. She develops novel computational frameworks to address challenges in modern power grids with increasing uncertainty and variability.

Scientific Recognition:

• Named among World's Top 2% Scientists by Stanford (2024)
• Recipient of ARC DECRA Award (2022)
• Rising Stars Women in Engineering Award (2022)
• UNIPRS Scholarship recipient (2011-2013)
• 1st Runner-up Paper Award at IET Conference (2011)

Dr. Zhang actively supervises over 30 undergraduate/postgraduate students and leads significant research initiatives including the ARC Discovery project on temporal-spatial data analytics for power system stability and UNSW Digital Grid Future Institute seed funding for coordinated dynamic security defense. She teaches specialized courses in AI applications for power systems and energy storage technologies, developing curriculum for the next generation of electrical engineers.

Her laboratory work is conducted in Lab 301 G17 Engineering Building, focusing on real-time data-driven control systems and AI validation for power grid applications.