Frede Blaabjerg is a Professor at Aalborg University (AAU Energy) , affiliated with the Faculty of Engineering and Science . Since 1998, he has pioneered power electronics research in applications such as wind turbines , photovoltaic (PV) systems , reliability engineering , and Power-2-X technologies. Education : PhD in Electrical Engineering (1995, Aalborg University) Honorary Degrees : Honoris Causa at University Politehnica Timisoara (2017) and Tallinn Technical University (2018) His research focuses on power electronics control , system optimization , and reliability for renewable energy and electric mobility . Recent work includes grid-forming converters , virtual synchronous generators , and smart EV charging systems. Key publication trends span 15+ years , with over 3,733 peer-reviewed articles and 900+ journal papers in power electronics , renewables , and energy storage . Notable book series: Control of Power Electronic Converters and Systems (4 volumes, Elsevier). Scientific Awards : 46 IEEE Prize Paper Awards 2020 IEEE Edison Medal 2019 Global Energy Prize 2014 IEEE William E. Newell Power Electronics Award Leadership Roles : Editor-in-Chief, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics (2006–2012) Chairman, Danish Council for Research and Innovation Policy (2020–) President, IEEE Power Electronics Society (2019–2020)
Emilio Frazzoli is a Full Professor at ETH Zurich’s Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering. He leads the Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control and the Center for Sustainable Future Mobility, focusing on autonomous systems, robotics, and socio-technical control frameworks. Current affiliations: ETH Zurich (Dynamic Systems and Control, Sustainable Future Mobility) Research: Autonomous mobility-on-demand, game theory for resource allocation, and safety verification in multi-agent systems His work bridges robotics, control theory, and economics, with projects like the open-source AMoDeus simulation framework for autonomous taxis and karma-based resource allocation systems. Recent publications emphasize trustworthy AI, reproducibility in autonomous vehicle control, and human-robot interaction challenges. Notable projects include nuReality (VR-based pedestrian interaction studies) and CARSI II (context-driven vehicle interfaces).
University of North Carolina at CharlotteUnited States
Dr. Madhav Manjrekar is an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1999. His research focuses on power electronics applications in utility systems, renewable energy interfaces, and cybersecurity of electricity infrastructure. Key areas include power quality improvement in microgrids, high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission, and advanced electrical machine design for electric vehicles and wind energy systems. His work emphasizes innovative solutions for energy storage integration, grid resiliency, and fault-tolerant power systems. Recent publications highlight advancements in DSTATCOM for microgrids, solid-state circuit breakers, and doubly salient electrical machines. He has contributed to projects like the US-Caribbean Super Grid and HVDC interconnectors for offshore renewable energy. Dr. Manjrekar’s research also addresses cybersecurity vulnerabilities in power infrastructure and explores next-gen semiconductor technologies like SiC MOSFETs. His interdisciplinary approach bridges power electronics, machine design, and grid stability, with applications in both academic and industry settings.
Claudio Canizares is a University Professor and Hydro One Endowed Chair in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Waterloo. He also serves as Executive Director of the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy (WISE). With a career spanning over 30 years, his research focuses on power systems stability, smart grids, microgrids, and renewable energy integration. He has secured nearly $118 million in grants and supervised 180+ researchers/students. Education: PhD (1991) and MSc (1988) in Electrical Engineering from University of Wisconsin-Madison; Electrical Engineering Diploma (1984) from Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Ecuador. Research Interests : Nonlinear systems theory, FACTS/HVDC applications, energy storage systems, microgrid stability/control, renewable integration in remote communities, and smart grid analytics. His work emphasizes bridging academic research with industrial applications through collaborations with utilities and tech firms. Key Achievements : IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid Editor-In-Chief; multiple IEEE Fellowships (IEEE, Royal Society of Canada, Canadian Academy of Engineering); 2017 IEEE PES Outstanding Educator Award; 2016 IEEE Canada Electric Power Medal. His publications (370+) include landmark papers on microgrid stability definitions and control frameworks, cited over 29,000 times. Teaching: Recently taught ECE 140 (Linear Circuits), ECE 467 (Power Systems Analysis), and graduate courses ECE 6601PD/ECE 6613PD on power systems modeling and analysis.
Professor Grahame Holmes is an Honorary Professor in the School of Engineering at RMIT University, Australia. His expertise spans electrical energy conversion, smart energy systems, renewable energy integration, power electronics, and grid infrastructure. He focuses on advancing technologies for sustainable energy storage, grid stability, and high-efficiency power conversion. Research Interests : Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Communications Technologies, Power Electronics, Renewable Energy Systems, and Grid Integration Solutions. His work emphasizes practical applications such as hydrogen energy storage systems, grid-interactive inverters, and modular multilevel converters. Recent Contributions : Prof. Holmes has published extensively on topics like advanced PWM techniques, resonant current controllers, and DC transformer designs. His research bridges theoretical advancements with real-world implementations, addressing challenges in smart grid stability and high-frequency power conversion. Advising & Grants : Supervised projects include 'Hydrogen Energy Storage System for Nanogrid' (2015) and 'Synchronised Control of Grid-Interactive Inverters' (2015). While specific grant details are not listed, his work aligns with major themes in sustainable energy research. Labs & Collaborations : Engages in collaborative research through RMIT's facilities, focusing on hardware-software co-simulation frameworks and FPGA-based real-time systems.
Srdjan Lukic is the Deputy Director of the FREEDM Systems Center and a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at North Carolina State University. His research focuses on power electronics, power systems, and electric vehicle infrastructure. He holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology (2007). His work emphasizes high-power converters, DC microgrids, and extreme fast charging (XFC) technologies for electric vehicles. Recent projects include the development of a 13.2 kV solid-state transformer for EV XFC stations and resilient distributed control frameworks for smart grids. He has contributed to wireless charging systems and modular medium-voltage fast chargers. Key Awards: University Faculty Scholars (2022) Grants: DOE-funded XFC projects, modular EV charging infrastructure Labs/Teams: FREEDM Systems Center, RIAPS control architecture development Publications highlight innovations in microgrid control, power electronics modeling, and privacy-preserving distributed systems. His work addresses grid resilience, cyber-physical integration, and high-efficiency energy conversion.
Liangzhong Yao is a Professor and Director of the Smart Grid Research Institute at Wuhan University, China. He holds dual roles as Fellow of IEEE and IET, and has served in leadership positions such as Vice President of China Electric Power Research Institute (CEPRI) and Chair of IEC TC122. His expertise spans renewable energy grid integration, HVDC systems, smart grid technologies, and energy storage. Yao has led over 25 years of R&D projects with combined funding exceeding GBP 20 million and RMB 90 million, resulting in applied technologies in wind farms and HVDC grids. He has been awarded over 10 national and international accolades, including the IEC 1906 Standard Award and China Science and Technology Innovation Awards. Research focuses include AC-DC hybrid systems, distributed energy resource integration, and high-renewable energy grid operation. He has authored/co-authored 350+ publications, 60+ patents, and 4 books. Yao currently supervises 8 PhD and 10 Master's students, and serves on editorial boards of journals like CSEE Journal of Power Energy & Systems. His leadership roles in global standards bodies like IEC and CIGRE further highlight his contributions to advancing electrical engineering standards and practices.
Sahar Pirooz Azad is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Waterloo. She holds a PEng designation and specializes in power systems engineering, particularly in HVDC systems and grid stability. Previously, she served as an Assistant Professor at the University of Alberta (2015–2017) and conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Toronto’s CAPE Centre and KU Leuven in Belgium. Her research focuses on enhancing power grid stability through advanced control schemes for HVDC grids, converter modeling, and fault protection mechanisms. Dr. Azad’s work addresses challenges in multi-terminal HVDC systems, offshore wind grid integration, and multi-vendor system compatibility. She has taught courses like Power System Protection and Relaying (ECE 765) and Electromechanical Energy Conversion (ECE 260), reflecting her expertise in both theoretical and applied electrical engineering. Her recent publications emphasize innovative protection schemes for HVDC grids, fault detection algorithms using signal processing (e.g., Hilbert-Huang Transform), and robust controller designs for multi-vendor VSC systems. These contributions aim to improve grid reliability, fault resilience, and renewable energy integration efficiency. Dr. Azad is actively recruiting graduate students and holds Sole-Supervisory Privilege Status (SSPS) at Waterloo. Her research has been supported by European Commission-funded projects like MEDOW and leverages interdisciplinary approaches to tackle modern grid challenges.
Dr. King Man Siu is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of North Texas, College of Engineering. He established the Power Electronics and Renewable Energy (PERE) Lab in February 2022, focusing on power electronics technologies for renewable energy, smart grids, and electric vehicle applications. University: University of North Texas School: College of Engineering Department: Electrical Engineering Research Interests: Dr. Siu specializes in power electronics, renewable energy systems, and smart grid technologies. His work addresses challenges in: Efficient energy conversion for solar and battery systems Grid integration of electric vehicles and renewable sources Advanced inverter design for residential and industrial applications Reduction of magnetic components in power converters Reactive power management and circuit breaker development Modular solutions for DC distribution and rural electrification Publication Trends: His research emphasizes optimizing power electronics through innovative topologies (e.g., Manitoba inverters, interleaved totem-pole converters) and materials (e.g., SiC MOSFETs). Key areas include energy efficiency in photovoltaic systems, smart grid stability, and DC microgrid interconnection strategies. Contact: Email: Kingman.Siu@unt.edu Office: Discovery Park B233
Dr Brandon M Grainger is an Eaton Faculty Fellow and Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh’s Swanson School of Engineering, where he also directs the Electric Power Technologies Laboratory, serves as Associate Director of the Energy GRID Institute, and co-directs Pitt AMPED. A key architect of Pitt’s electric power program since 2008, he focuses on advanced power conversion, high-voltage electronics, wide-band-gap semiconductors, and aerospace power systems. Education PhD, Electrical Engineering (Power Conversion), University of Pittsburgh, 2014 MS, Electrical Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, 2011 BS, Mechanical Engineering & Minor in Electrical Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, 2007 Executive Education Certificate, Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University, 2019 Research Focus Dr Grainger’s work lies at the intersection of power electronics, high-voltage engineering, and sustainable energy systems. He specializes in medium- and high-voltage power electronics (HVDC, STATCOM), resonant converters, and ultra-high-power-density designs leveraging SiC and GaN semiconductors. His investigations extend to electric-vehicle traction drives, solid-state transformers, optimized magnetics for aerospace applications, and resilient microgrids. He and his students routinely collaborate with NASA JPL, Johns Hopkins APL, Honeywell Aerospace, and the Naval Research Laboratory, leveraging Pitt’s NSF SHREC center to push the boundaries of power conversion in space and defense systems. Selected Research Themes High-frequency, high-density DC/DC converters for satellite power systems Radiation-tolerant GaN converters and point-of-load power stages Medium-voltage testbed development (13.8 kV, 5 MVA) Rare-earth-free permanent-magnet machine topologies Model-predictive control of multi-phase drives and microgrids Honors & Awards 2024 IEEE Region 2 Outstanding Educator Award 2024 Pitt STRIVE Outstanding DEI Service Award 2019 ESWP Engineer of the Year 2019 ASEE 2nd Place Best Paper Award 2019 SRI Undergraduate Best Mentor Award Richard K. Mellon Endowed Graduate Fellowship National Academies of Science & Engineering Ambassador Senior Member, IEEE Grants & Industry Partnerships Dr Grainger’s research has been continuously funded by federal agencies and industry partners including NASA JPL, Johns Hopkins APL, Honeywell Aerospace, the Naval Research Laboratory, Eaton, and the National Science Foundation through the SHREC Center. These awards support graduate students and post-docs working on next-generation power systems for aerospace, naval, and terrestrial applications. Laboratories & Teams Director, Electric Power Technologies Laboratory (EPTL) Associate Director, Energy GRID Institute Co-Director, Pitt AMPED (Advanced Multimodal Power and Energy Development) Faculty Affiliate, NSF SHREC Center
Dr. Prasanth Venugopal is an Associate Professor specializing in Power Electronics with a focus on advanced energy transfer systems and battery technology. His research spans wireless power transfer, electric vehicle charging, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy for battery diagnostics. Primary research areas: Wireless Power Transfer (100%), Harmonics (88%), Inductive Power Transfer (87%), Battery Engineering (48%) Recent publications demonstrate expertise in transformerless converter designs, multi-level architectures, and AI-driven battery capacity estimation. He has pioneered meander coil topologies for harmonic mitigation and developed computation-light models for battery aging analysis. His work includes collaborations on Li-ion battery degradation, onboard chargers for electric vehicles, and hybrid power systems for electric aircraft. Despite significant output in IEEE Transactions, no explicit awards or student mentoring data appears in the provided texts.
Thiago Batista Soeiro serves as a Full Professor with exceptional scholarly impact, evidenced by over 200 research publications and an h-index of 27. His work fundamentally advances power electronics applications in transportation and energy systems, particularly through innovations in electric vehicle infrastructure and sustainable power conversion technologies. Despite the absence of explicit institutional affiliation in source materials, his research permeates critical IEEE journals and conferences. Professor Soeiro's research portfolio centers on: Power converter design for electric vehicle charging systems AI-driven battery health estimation using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy Wireless power transfer optimization for automotive applications High-efficiency topologies for more electric aircraft Hydrogen energy system integration Advanced semiconductor utilization in grid-connected systems Analysis of his 2023-2025 publications reveals accelerating innovation in wide-voltage-range converters, predictive battery management, and fault-tolerant power systems. His work increasingly bridges machine learning with power electronics, notably through computation-light AI models for battery diagnostics, while maintaining strong focus on practical implementation challenges in EV charging and aircraft electrification. No scientific awards or honors were documented in the available materials. Similarly, information regarding student supervision, research grants, laboratory facilities, or collaborative teams was not provided in the source texts.
Remus Teodorescu is a Professor at AAU Energy , Aalborg University , specializing in Power Electronics System Integration and Materials . His work bridges Lithium-Ion Batteries , Modular Multilevel Converters , and Smart Battery Systems . Education : Not explicitly mentioned in the text. Research Interests focus on Battery Management Systems , AI-Driven Energy Optimization , and Power Electronics for renewable energy integration. Key projects include Digital Twin for Lithium-Ion Batteries and BMS-DC for Data Centers . Recent Publications (2025) emphasize Finite Set MPC , Gradient Descent Optimization , and AI in Battery Parameter Estimation . His 2024 work explores Physics-Informed Neural Networks and Fault-Tolerant Converters . Scientific Awards : Villum Foundation Grant (313 million kroner, 2021) Named world's best in electrical engineering (2023) Advising includes supervising PhD projects on AI-Accelerated Battery Twins and Data-Driven SOH Estimation . Collaborations span Energy Cluster Denmark and Villum Fonden .
Professor Dragan Jovcic is the Chair in Engineering at the University of Aberdeen's School of Engineering , where he has been a faculty member since 2004 and a full professor since 2012. Concurrently he serves as Director of the Aberdeen HVDC Research Centre , a role he has held since 2015. Education: PhD in Electrical Engineering, University of Auckland, 1999 Diploma Engineer in Control Systems, University of Belgrade, 1993 Postgraduate Certificate in University Teaching, University of Ulster, 2003 Research Interests: Professor Jovcic’s research centres on high-power electronics and HVDC transmission systems , with particular emphasis on the development of DC transmission grids that will enable large-scale integration of offshore wind energy . His work spans DC/DC converters , DC circuit breakers , modular multilevel converters (MMC) , flexible AC transmission systems (FACTS) , and advanced power system modelling and control . The overarching goal is to underpin the transition from fossil-fuel generation to renewable-dominated power systems, especially in the North Sea and European contexts. Publication Trends: Recent publications (2020-2023) reveal a strong focus on DC protection technologies —notably circuit breakers and energy absorbers—and on modelling methodologies for HVDC grids and offshore wind integration. The works address both theoretical advances (phasor and state-space models) and experimental validation (kV-level prototypes), reflecting a balanced portfolio of fundamental research and practical demonstration. Scientific Awards & Recognition: IEEE Fellow (2021) IEEE PES Distinguished Lecturer (since 2015) IET Fellow (2019) and Chartered Engineer (2018) Research Funding & Supervision: With over £5.5 million in external research income, Professor Jovcic is principal investigator or work-package leader on numerous EU Horizon Europe and EPSRC projects. He has supervised 9 PhDs to completion and is currently mentoring 2 PhD students and 2 post-doctoral fellows . Major grants include the €35 million PROMOTioN project on multiterminal DC networks and the €4 million MoWiLife project on wide-bandgap power electronics. Laboratory & Facilities: The Aberdeen HVDC Research Centre hosts a 0.9 kV DC grid demonstrator , 30 kW thyristor- and IGBT-based DC/DC converters , and 5 kV, 2 kA DC circuit breaker test benches , providing a world-class platform for experimental research and student training.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityUnited States
Dushan Boroyevich is a University Distinguished Professor at Virginia Tech's Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and serves as Deputy Director of the Center for Power Electronics Systems (CPES). He holds adjunct roles at Tsinghua, Xi'an Jiaotong, Zhejiang, and National Cheng-Kung Universities. His research focuses on power electronics systems, including multi-phase power conversion, electronic power distribution, and modular multilevel converters. He pioneered the geometric modeling approach for high-frequency converters and has led over 200 students in generating 1000+ publications and 20 patents. Education: Dipl. Ing. (University of Belgrade, 1976), M.S. (University of Novi Sad, 1982), Ph.D. (Virginia Tech, 1986). Awards include IEEE Fellow, IEEE William E. Newell Award, and election to the U.S. National Academy of Engineering (2014). His CPES leadership has driven global advancements in power electronics integration and modularization. Research emphasizes high-power density, EMI mitigation, and next-gen SiC-based converters. Recent work includes medium-voltage PEBB designs, common-mode noise reduction, and grid-interface systems. He collaborates closely with industry through CPES's 80+ member consortium. Awards: IEEE Fellowships, Owen Distinguished Service Award, European Power Electronics Association Awards Labs/Teams: CPES, Virginia Tech Power Electronics Research Group Grants/Projects: NSF National Engineering Research Center funding, Industry Consortium projects
