Brandon Grainger

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