Kumar Venayagamoorthy

Kumar Venayagamoorthy is the Duke Energy Distinguished Professor of Power Engineering and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Clemson University. He founded and directs the Real-Time Power and Intelligent Systems (RTPIS) Laboratory, pioneering AI applications for power grids. He holds fellowships in IEEE, IET, SAIEE, and AAIA, and serves as Vice-President of the International Neural Network Society for Industry Relations.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, University of Natal (2002)
• MBA in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Clemson University (2016)
• M.Sc.Eng. in Electrical Engineering, University of Natal (1999)
• B.Eng. (Hons.) in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (1994)

Research: Focuses on computational intelligence for smart grids, including nonlinear power system control, renewable energy forecasting, wide-area monitoring, electric vehicle integration (coined "SmartParks"), and adaptive neurocontrollers. His work bridges AI theory with practical energy solutions, extending to cybersecurity and sensor networks.

Awards: Recognized with over 50 honors including the NSF CAREER Award (2004), ONR Young Investigator Award (2007), IEEE PES Walter Fee Outstanding Young Engineer (2006), multiple best paper awards, and inclusion in Elsevier's Top 2% global scientists (2020-2024).

Academic Leadership: Directed 28 PhD dissertations and 22 master's theses. Secured major grants including NSF EFRI funding for "Neuroscience and Neural Networks for Engineering the Future Intelligent Electric Power Grid". Leads IEEE committees on Smart Grid and Intelligent Systems.