The Power Engineering Awards Program exists to motivate undergraduate and graduate students to pursue academic degrees in the field of power engineering. Each year, new students are chosen to receive the award. The awards hope to bring College of Engineering students together to become highly involved with power engineering faculty, to develop students who are highly qualified to enter the field of engineering, and to encourage students who already have or are likely to make significant research or contributions to the field of power engineering.
You can view more photos from this event here.
Please take a look at our previous winners here:
2023 Power Engineering Awardees
The Grainger Power Engineering Award
2024 Undergraduate Winners
Mason Crooks
From Lancaster, Wisconsin, Mason became interested in engineering from admiring the insides of household electronics and machines. He came to UW-Madison to pursue a bachelor’s in electrical engineering and his interest in power engineering started after taking classes where he learned about motors and how electrical energy is converted into mechanical. He helps lead Wisconsin Autonomous on campus and has previously been a lab automation Intern at Exact Sciences and a hardware debug engineer at Extreme Engineering Solutions. When he’s not working, he enjoys spots and learning about history.
Ethan Geray
Etan is from St. Michael, Minnesota and chose to pursue an education in electrical engineering because of his love of math, physics and problem solving in high school. He participates in IEEE activities and was an intern for Westwood PS and Barr Engineering Co where he helped with solar PV design and wind/solar farm designs. Ethan hopes to work with energy generation, transmission or storage after college because he sees the growing need for solutions in these fields. When he is not working on his engineering studies, he enjoys fishing, hunting and playing video games.
Eric Haag
Eric was raised in Wausau, Wisconsin where he was part of the VEX Robotics Team, Science Olympiad and the Astronomy Club at his high school. He initially came to UW-Madison unsure of what he wanted to major in but debating between physics, applied math and engineering. He decided to focus on electrical engineering because he was interested in electric power systems and power engineering. Eric is currently researching various ways to mitigate the risk of igniting wildfires from the power grid and has designed simulations comparing the effectiveness of risk management in preventing possible ignitions and the potential side effects on power reliability. After graduating, he plans to pursue a PhD related to power engineering and clean energy. Outside of engineering, he enjoys hiking, attending local concerts and astronomy.
Lance Letellier
Lance has always been interested in learning how things work and spent much of his childhood reading books and watching documentaries about science and technology as a kid. From New Berlin, Wisconsin, he came to UW-Madison to pursue a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and one for piano performance because of the huge role music has played in his life. He has previously interned at American Transmission Company and TRC where he did things like simulating power flows on the ATC system, evaluated and documented new distributed energy resources, and modeled existing transmissions lines and structures in CADD software from lidar survey data. Outside of engineering, he’s been playing the piano since he was 4 years old and enjoys playing jazz at venues in the Madison area with his quartet, Out the Shed.
Brandon Lombardo
Brandon Is from Howards Grove, WI and decided to pursue electrical engineering after initially starting college as a computer science major. He realized he enjoyed a more hands-on and physical learning experience and switched to electrical engineering after his brother graduated with a mechanical engineering degree. He finds learning about electric machines the most interesting aspect of power engineering and he’s previously interned for Marathan Petroleum as an Electrical and Instrumentation Project Engineer. Brandon also spends time volunteering as the Assistant Director of Logistics for Badger Boys State, a weeklong camp for boys to learn about community and leadership. He also enjoys camping, hiking and boating.
Cassie Mangiulli
From Madison, WI, Cassie became interested in engineering because of her love of math in high school. She became particularly interested in power engineering because it combined her passion for both electric and mechanical engineering into one. She worked at Mercury Marine as a co-op and then again as an intern where she conducted functional tests on sensors, helped test development boards, tested batteries with charging and discharging, helped with wire harnesses and helped design and layout an 8-layer circuit board. She current works at the Design Innovation Lab at ECB and is on the formula SAE team. She hopes to pursue a graduate degree in electrical or mechanical engineering and when she’s not working, she enjoys watching horror movies and playing the violin.
Cayden McCarville
From Stevens Point, WI, Cayden’s interest in engineering began through a strong desire to understand how the technologies around him worked. He specifically became interested in power engineering through a course in electromechanical energy conversion where he learned about the theory and optimization of electric machines and power systems. He previously interned as a substation engineering where he worked on protection and control schemes for substations of varying sizes and he hopes to work on the technical side of power engineering after graduation. When he’s not working, Cayden enjoys being outdoors, shooting pool, attending live music shows and playing a variety of card games.
Chase Melstrand
As a kid, Chase loved to tinker, so much so that he frequently got into trouble for it. His natural curiosity with how things worked drew him towards engineering. Raised in Jackson, Wisconsin he wanted to represent Wisconsin in his future endeavors and chose to pursue a degree in electrical engineering at UW-Madison. He’s previously completed two internships at Polaris where he focused on designing and routing harnesses for both commercial gas vehicles and electric UTVs. He was a research lab technician during his previous semesters and has always been fascinated by power conversion; especially manipulating high voltage and current to achieve specific tasks. Outside of engineering, he enjoys weightlifting and playing video games.
Bis Mishra
Originally from Navagarh, India and now living in Franklin, Wi, Bis always enjoyed watching engineering shows like How It’s Made, Modern Marvels, and Mythbusters. He would go on to do robotics in high school and is currenting pursing his bachelor’s in electrical engineering at UW-Madison. He is also the president of the Queer and Trans Engineers and enjoys how the group brings together the queer community of the Engineering campus. He’s previously completed an internship with Alliant Energy and is currently a researcher at HSX where he works on measuring impurities in plasma through a form of radiation and spectral data in the plasma containment vessel. Bis also enjoys spending time with his friends and his four pet rats. He also loves local DIY music shows, collecting vinyl, CDs and cassettes, and cycling.
Caroline Murphy
When Caroline was in high school, she participated in a four-year engineering principles program where she was preliminarily exposed to engineering concepts such as CAD, circuits and digital electronics. From Annapolis, Maryland, she chose to pursue a double major in electrical engineering and mathematics with a certificate in computer science at UW-Madison. She has previously interned at the John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory and with Sensor Systems Engineering Group. Last semester, she was involved in research with WISPO and was in the Alvarado Sustainability Scholars Program where she was focused on researching ways to implement more renewable energy in Wisconsin. She’s in Delta Delta Delta-Mu and an active member in Women in ECE. Outside of engineering, she enjoys baking and decorating cakes.
Ryan Van Ells
Inspired by a desire to create and a fascination with electricity, Ryan chose to come to UW-Madison to pursue a degree in electrical engineering. From Oconomowoc, Wisconsin originally, he saw UW-Madison as a good fit because of its high standards of education and wide range of engineering opportunities. He’s currently the electrical director for Badger Solar Racing and has interned as a hardware test engineer at Shield AI where he designed a test fixture with interfaces with and tests a DC/DC converter for reliability. He was also a battery test engineering intern at Briggs & Stratton, and he hopes to gain industry experience in hardware design of power electronics after graduating. When he’s not at school or work, he’s a casual chess player and intramural volleyball player.
Grant Yadon
Originally from Beloit, WI, Grant first was introduced to engineering in high school where he was able to take classes on engineering because of his interest in math and science. When he came to UW-Madison, he took courses ECE 355 and ECE 304 and his interest in power electronics grew. He is currently working on his electrical engineering and computer science double major and hopes to continue at UW-Madison for the power engineering master’s program. Grant is also a part of the Triangle Fraternity and enjoys playing video games in his free time.
2024 Graduate Winners
Luke Andersen
When Luke was nine, the physics department at Utah State University visited his hometown elementary school in Logan, Utah for a science assembly. He was so excited that he went home and immediately attempted to recreate the demos and his interest in STEM combined with a passion for building things and problem solving led him to pursue engineering. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at Utah State University and then was a research assistant at ASPIRE which motivated him to pursue graduate research in power electronics. His research is on developing a more resilient solar inverter to extend the lifetime of the inverter to match that of the solar panels with which it interfaces while still preserving its efficiency and lower cost. He’s the USU Engineering Council President and part of the ASPIRE Student Leadership Council.
Elijah Berger
Elijah is from Seattle Washington and initially took interest in electrical engineering after he took a course on semiconductor devices and discrete circuits. His first project was an attempt to replicate a phase guitar effect pedal. He received his bachelor’s degree in physics from Bowdoin College and chose to pursue a master’s from UW-Madison because of their strong power electronics program. He is currently researching efficient radio communication amplifiers with the goal of achieving a 10-times increase in performance. After graduating, Elijah wants to work in industrial research and development, ideally for sustainable infrastructure, environmental monitoring, or public transportation. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, playing ultimate frisbee, dinghy sailing and hiking.
Wenda Feng
At eight years old, Wenda tried to take apart an old television in order to understand it better. He was unable to put it back together, but it still sparked his curiosity and since both his parents were engineers, engineering seemed like a natural fit. From S Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China, he first completed a bachelor’s and master’s degree at Ohio State University before coming to UW-Madison because of its renowned power electronics program and strong reputation. He had an internship in SS Power Technology working on solar panel charging while he was working on his master’s degree and his research for his PhD was to design electric machines for traction and aerospace applications with the goal of making it more compact, power dense and reduce the cost. When he’s not working, he enjoys working out, playing basketball, and cooking.
Carmen Haseltine
Originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Carmen started her journey in engineering after building tower computers with her brother. She attended Louisiana State University, where she got a bachelor’s in electrical engineering and then went to University of West Florida for a masters in applied mathematics before coming to UW-Madison for her PhD in electrical engineering. She spent two years with ERCOT and then took a position at a power engineering contractor firm in Madison which specialized in designing and installing wind farms. Her research is centered around cyber-physical systems, like electric power grids, and she uses mathematical modeling and risk analysis to develop novel methodology for risk assessment. When she’s not working, she enjoys spending time with her partner and son, oil painting and powerlifting.
Silvia Ioana Iordache
From Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Silvia grew up around engineers and was inspired to pursue electrical engineering following the footprints of her grandparents. She got her bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from UW-Madison and returned to pursue her graduate degree in order to increase her understanding and knowledge of power engineering. She is currently working on developing electrostatic motors for renewable power generation applications and is active in several student organizations including the Muslim Student Association and African student Association. She has also coached several undergrad classes as a UGSA. Outside of engineering, Silvia enjoys cooking and reading.
Giancarlos Irizarry-Martinez
Giancarlos grew interested in engineering after witnessing the weak power grid infrastructure in Puerto Rico. Being from Las Piedras, Puerto Rico he saw how the electric grid infrastructure was in constant development but still has so much research left to be done and he wants to have the ability of contributing to innovative projects like it. He earned his bachelor’s in electrical engineering from University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez and came to UW-Madison because of its groundbreaking research in respect to the electric grid. His research is focused on obtaining a solution for the planning and operation of the electric grid in extreme conditions to minimize the number of blackouts in a system. Outside of engineering, Giancarlos enjoys driving race cars and adventuring to new locations with his partner.
Scott Robert Lawton
Scott is from Hudson, Wisconsin and first became interested in engineering when he enrolled in an electronic circuits lab during his undergraduate studies. His main interest in power engineering is rooted in its ability to combat climate change and his research is focused on implementing a modified MMC (Modular Multi-level Converter). He has previously completed a computer science certificate from UW-Eau Claire and an applied physics degree and applied mathematics degree from UW-Madison. He has had multiple internships with Design Ready Controls and has helped develop the firmware for a soil moisture sensor and helped size and design a microgrid power system for one of the company’s smaller locations. When not working, Scott enjoys golfing, gaming and tinkering with hobby electronics such as Arduino.
Patrick Nowakowski
Patrick was born in Green Bay, Wisconsin and began working in the WEMPEC Lab during his sophomore year of undergrad where he was able to design PCBs and wire embedded systems firmware for the lab’s digital control platform. He was inspired to pursue engineering by his father, an electrical engineering who spent his career developing new technologies to make Wisconsin’s power grid more reliable. Patrick just completed his undergraduate degree at UW-Madison in computer engineering and computer Science and decided to continue with his graduate studies right away and he is part of project involving the use of novel semiconductor switches to create and profile new converter topologies. Outside of engineering, he enjoys playing board games, reading novels and learning other languages like French and American Sign Language.
Sofia Taylor
Sofia grew up in the coastal town of Portsmouth, Rhode Island where she witnessed first-hand the impacts of coastal flooding and sea level rise driven by climate change. She remembers watching a crew install a wind turbine that would become a symbol of her town and inspired her to learn more about renewable energy. She would go on to complete her bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at North Carolina state University and her master’s degree at UW-Madison. She was drawn to pursue her PhD by Dr. Roald’s research on optimal power systems operation under wildfire risk as it aligns with her interests in climate adaption and sustainable energy systems. After graduating, Sofia hopes to spend a few months hiking or biking before continuing to work in the grid resilience area.
Antonio Trujillo Parra
When Antonio was a kid, his father taught him about circuits and electronics which motivated him to pursue electrical engineering. From Guadalajara, Mexico, he first came to UW-Milwaukee to get his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. He started his master’s at UW-Madison because he was interested in the power electronics research performed by WEMPEC and had several mentors who had graduated from WEMPEC. He is currently supporting research related to modular fault tolerant motor drive topologies and is president of the IEEE Industrial Applications Society, UW-Madison Student Chapter. He hopes to continue for his PhD after graduation and pursue a career in R&D for high reliability power electronics applications. Outside of engineering, Antonio enjoys traveling, sports, and photography.
The Novotny Power Engineering Award
2024 Winners
Gokhan Cakal
Originally from Usak Türkiye, Gokhan first grew interested in Engineering as a child when he would open up his toys to understand how they worked. He would go on to earn his bachelor’s and master’s in electrical and computer engineering at Middle east Technical University in Turkey. Gokhan was interested in power engineering because of its transformative role in electric vehicles and renewable energy systems. He has completed two summer internships at General Motors and works as a teaching assistant at UW Madison. His research aims to improve the cooling of electric motors in electric vehicles or other electrification applications. Outside of engineering, Gokhan enjoys traveling and playing soccer and volleyball.
Ken Chen
Ken’s interest in engineering stems from a fascination by how things work, particularly at the intersection of technology and problem-solving. From Ningbo, Zhejiang province, China, he earned his bachelor’s degree from Purdue University and his master’s degree from the University of Southern California. He came to UW-Madison for his PhD and is working on developing specialized electric motors that are more robust under fault conditions. He’s previously completed an internship at BorgWarner where he validated the performance of a prototype machine using experimental data. When he’s not working, he enjoys hiking during the summer and downhill skiing in the winter.
Jiaqi Chen
From Liaocheng, China, Jiaqi became interested in engineering because she saw the opportunity it offers in solving complex, real-world problems through a blend of creativity, math, and science. As a child, she frequently experiences power outages during rainy weather which motivated her to build stable and reliable power systems. She focuses on developing data-driven models to enhance the resilience, efficiency and decarbonization of power systems and one of her key contributions is an improved algorithm for accurately calculating stochastic power flow. She holds a Master of Science in electrical engineering from Tsinghua University and a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering and automation from Shandong University. When she’s not working, she enjoys cooking, traveling, reading and table tennis.
Yuhao Chen
Yuhao is from Chengdu, Sichuan, China and was inspired to pursue engineering by his high school physics teacher who had previously worked as a chief engineer at a large factory. Yuhao would go on to earn a Bachelor of Engineering in Energy and Power Engineering from Southeast University in Nanjing, China and a Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology. He in currently pursuing his PhD and is a part of WISPO here at UW-Madison. While he is still developing the full scope of his research, he plans to focus on applying optimization and machine learning to analyze the operation of power systems and other energy networks. When he’s not working, he enjoys cooking and trying out new restaurants.
Abhinav Chinnusamy
Abhinav is from Tiruchengodu, Tamil Nadu, India and became interested in engineering when he tried assembling audio amplifiers from a collection of parts as a child but couldn’t design one from scratch. He was motivated to pursue engineering to learn more and now enjoys designing embedded controllers and engaging in electronics forums where he can share his work. He’s previously earned a bachelor of technology in electrical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Dharwad and has worked with the Power and Energy group at IIT Dharward where he developed GaN Half Bridge converters and Solid-State Circuit breakers. His current research involves improving a Marx Generator used to multiply voltage. Outside of engineering, Abhinav enjoys playing badminton and astrophotography.
Saket Kapse
Saket comes to UW-Madison from Nagpur, India. His father introduced him to electronics at a young age and inspired him to pursue a career in electrical engineering. He earned his UG in electrical and electronics Engineering from Vellore Institute of Technology, Chennai Campus and chose to pursue his graduate degree at UW-Madison because of its strong reputation in research, outstanding faculty and advanced facilities. Saket’s research is focused on the design of a high-voltage power converter for ozone generation, and he’s previously worked as a research associate at IIT Madras where he designed power electronics and embedded systems for air purifies and point absorber wave energy converters. If he weren’t an engineer, he’d be a chef because he loves cooking too.
Bhumi Kumar
Ever since Bhumi saw a video on Cyclotron in a physics class, he was fascinated by how electric fields, magnetic fields and mechanics made something spectacular. He is from Hisar, Haryana, India and had early exposure towards the impact of power in facilitating agriculture and associated industries like dairy which furthered his interest in engineering. He completed his bachelor’s and master’s in electrical engineering from IIT Bombay and then earned an MS in computer science from UW Madison. His research is on mathematically supported ways in which power system applications can be enhanced, even in limited data scenarios and he hopes to work in data analytics and machine learning in industry. Outside engineering, he enjoys playing ultimate frisbee and volleyball.
Shiying Wang
As a child, Shiying discovered she could use batteries to light up tiny light bulbs and learned about the power of electricity by poking a light socket. This experience fascinated her and sparked her interest in understanding how it all worked. She became interested in power engineering during her master’s studies at the University of Chinese Academy of Science when she took a course called “Advanced Power Conversion” where she was introduced to resonator converters and really drawn into the field. Her research focuses on an innovative way to transfer electricity using just a single wire and she hopes to find a job after graduating that will allow her to apply her knowledge and skills to contribute to innovative projects. Shiying has recently taken up learning tennis and also enjoys reading books and playing with her cats.
Xiaoyuan Zhang
Xiaoyuan’s interest in engineering began when he was gifted a LEGO space shuttle as a child which led to a fascination with space exploration. From Shenyang, China, he got his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Kettering University and chose UW-Madison for his master’s because of WEMPEC’s fame in electric machines. His research focuses on improving the reliability of modular electric motor drive from a control system standpoint to eventually make such drive safe enough for aviation propulsion systems. He’s previously interned at GT power and was enrolled in a Shell Eco-Marathon competition where he worked on designing and building a dynamometer and battery managing system. Xiaoyuan still enjoys building models when he’s not working.
Aidar Zhetessov
Aidar came to UW-Madison from Astana, Kazakhstan to complete his PhD in electrical engineering. He currently holds an MSc degree from UW-Madison, an MSc degree from ETH Zurich, and a BEng degree from Nazarbayev University. His dissertation explores the applicability of a motor control technique to power converters and how to automate the control development. He plans to continue his career at Lunar Energy Inc as a Sr. Power Electronics Controls Engineer. While at UW-Madison, he’s previously interned with Cummins Inc and Tesla and has been a reviewer of IEEE conference and journal articles as well as a tutor for high school and university level students. Aidar also enjoys spending time with his son, playing soccer and book clubs with friends.