James L. Kirtley Jr.

James L. Kirtley Jr. is a Professor of Electrical Engineering at MIT, affiliated with the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) and the Research Laboratory for Electronics. He holds dual roles as a Director at Satcon Technology Corporation and has held visiting positions at institutions such as the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) and Chongqing University. His academic journey includes a BS and PhD from MIT (1971).

Research focuses on electromechanics, electric machinery, and power systems, including advanced motor/generator design, electric ship propulsion, microgrid optimization, and energy storage. Notable contributions include work on high-conductivity rotor materials and electric vehicle drive systems.

• Awards: IEEE Fellow (1990), IEEE Third Millennium Medal (2000), Nikola Tesla Prize (2002), National Academy of Engineering (2007).
• Professional Roles: Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Transactions on Energy Conversion (1998–2006), Editorial Board member of Electric Power Components and Systems.

His industry experience includes roles at General Electric (steam turbine generators), Raytheon (microwave tube research), and Satcon (Vice President and Chief Scientist). He leads research initiatives in electric distribution systems, vehicle electrification, and modular ship propulsion architectures. Current projects explore 'self-healing' grids and advanced energy storage integration.