معرفی
Hilary E. Brown serves as a Part-Time Lecturer in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering within the School of Engineering at the University of St. Thomas. Concurrently, she holds a full-time position as a Senior Engineer at the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), where she focuses on power grid planning, transmission system performance evaluation, and policy analysis related to electrification impacts on the bulk power system.
Her academic credentials include:
- PhD in Electrical Engineering from University of Wisconsin-Madison (2017)
- MS in Electrical Engineering from Colorado School of Mines
- BS in Engineering Physics from Colorado School of Mines
Dr. Brown's research spans critical power infrastructure domains, with primary emphasis on power systems security against cyber-physical threats, renewable energy integration challenges, and transmission planning methodologies. Her work investigates how emerging technologies like inertia-emulating loads create both opportunities for grid modernization and vulnerabilities to sophisticated attacks, while also examining organizational approaches to maintaining reliability in complex power networks. She maintains active engagement with industry standards through her Professional Engineer license in Minnesota (License #59593).
Analysis of her publication record from 2010-2018 reveals a consistent trajectory from foundational smart grid research toward specialized cybersecurity applications in power systems. Early work focused on distribution system reliability with renewable resources, evolving into targeted investigations of cyber-physical attack vectors involving emulated inertia controls. Her scholarship uniquely bridges electrical engineering fundamentals with organizational safety theory, particularly through comparative analysis of high-reliability organizations versus normal accident theory in grid operations contexts.
At the University of St. Thomas, Dr. Brown has taught ETLS 744 Power Systems and Smart Grids, though she is not scheduled for Fall 2025 or Jterm 2026 instruction. Her industry role at MISO involves direct collaboration with utility planning teams and policy development groups, where she evaluates transmission performance and studies electrification impacts on grid stability. While specific laboratory affiliations aren't documented, her work connects to broader institutional initiatives like the Center for Microgrid Research through her focus on grid modernization and resilience.
