Research and Education in Power Electronics at the University of Minnesota, with an Emphasis on Sustainability

Prof. Ned Mohan
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
University of Minnesota

Abstract:
As the title suggests, this presentation will describe the research and educational activities of our power electronics group at the University of Minnesota. Power electronics being an enabling technology has applications in a wide range of applications, from cell phones and computers to PV systems and wind turbines. However, our group is focused on sustainability, and this presentation will briefly describe various research projects underway in very simple terms. In addition to research, our university is at the forefront in power-related education. This presentation will describe the 82-university consortium, perhaps largest of its kind, funded by DOE and recently launched CUSP™ (www.cusp.umn.edu) for global education that can be a template for any other field in STEM.


Short Biography:
Ned Mohan joined the University of Minnesota in 1975, where he is Oscar A. Schott Professor of Power Electronic Systems. He received his undergraduate education in India. He came to the University of Wisconsin in 1969 and earned MS in Nuclear Engineering, and PhD in electrical engineering under the supervision of Prof. Harold Peterson in 1973.

He has written 5 textbooks: one of them is translated into Chinese, Greek, Italian, Korean, Turkish and Spanish.  He has several U.S. Patents and has supervised nearly 100 graduate students, over 30 of them PhDs. He maintains a strong research program.

Prof. Mohan is a Morse-Alumni Distinguished Professor and a member of the Academy of Distinguished Teachers at the University of Minnesota.  He received the Outstanding Educator Award from the Power and Energy Society of the IEEE in 2008, and  the 2010 IEEE Undergraduate Teaching Award.  Prof. Mohan is a Fellow of the IEEE. He was recently selected as the Distinguished Alumnus of the Year by his alma mater IIT-Kharagpur, India.