News by Faculty
Al-Thaddeus Avestruz
February 8, 2024
How EV batteries can power up your house during outage
Prof. Al-Thaddeus Avestruz describes using an electric vehicle to power their home in the advent of a power outage.ECE PhD student Inhwi Hwang awarded two fellowships from IEEE for his research on power electronics
Hwang is working to enhance the stability and robustness of power grid converters, which could help strengthen grid stability for renewable energy sources, as well as help protect against cyber attacks.Congrats ECE alumni who joined academia
Congratulations to these ECE graduates who have recently joined academia as faculty members!August 22, 2023
ECE Alum Xiaofan Cui Joins UCLA ECE Department
ECE Alum Xiaofan Cui has been appointed as an electrical and computer engineering assistant professor at UCLA. He was advised by Professor Al-Thaddeus Avestruz.August 14, 2023
The Environmental Impact of Electric Vehicles: Examining Emissions and Challenges
Motormourth quotes Prof. Al-Thaddeus Avestruz about the innovation possibilities that could further improve the sustainability of electric vehicles and batteries.PBS News Hour: July 10, 2023
How Can Electric Vehicles Overcome Their Limitations?
This episode of “The Sweaty Penguin” explores what possibilities electric vehicles present, what challenges stand in the way, and how those hurdles can be overcome and features special guest Prof. Al-Thaddeus Avestruz.Equity in the energy technology transition is new Institute’s goal
Prof. Johanna Mathieu is the new Associate Director of the Institute for Energy Solutions, which will continue U-M’s 75-year legacy of leadership in energy research.Alireza Ramyar awarded Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship for his research on power processing architectures for improved sustainability
Ramyar’s research focuses on how power and energy can be transformed, extracted from clean power generation, and stored effectively and sustainably.Al-Thaddeus Avestruz receives CAREER Award to advance sustainable energy storage
Using retired electric vehicle batteries, the project plans to enable widespread and equitable access to sustainable power and energy through sustainable energy storage.Sung Yul Chu wins IEEE Power Electronics Society PhD Thesis Talk Award
Chu is recognized for his research on wireless power transfer for electric vehicle charging.Xin Zan awarded Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship to advance research in wireless power transfer
Zan’s research on high frequency power converters for wireless power transfer has a wide range of applications
Best paper award for optimizing wireless power transfer
Prof. Al-Thaddeus Avestruz and PhD student Xin Zan were honored at the IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition for their work improving the efficiency and reliability of wireless power transfer.
Charging Ahead
Wireless charging is already taking hold. But imagine charging your home appliances or even your car without a single wire. Rackham electrical engineering student Xin Zan is working to make that—and more—a reality.Xin Zan wins the Towner Prize for his work advancing wireless power transfer
PhD student Xin Zan is helping to free the world from cords, which could advance implantable medical devices, autonomous electric vehicles, and consumer electronics.
Undergrad Michelle Gehner engineers better ways to explore new worlds
Gehner’s academic career includes advancing power electronics and crafting new extraterrestrial vehicles for MRover. She received the IEEE Power and Energy Society Scholarship for her promising future in power and energy.
Xin Zan wins two awards for wireless power transfer research
New research into implanted medical devices and peer-to-peer charging.
Solving the “Christmas light” problem so solar panels can handle shade
Just 10 percent shade cover can drop electricity production by 50 percent. A new U-M-led project aims to change that.