• Professor, Electrical & Computer Engineering
  • Member, National Academy of Engineering
  • Harry E. Bovay, Jr. Chair
  • University Distinguished Professor
  • Regents Professor
Google Scholar Profile
B. Don Russell

Educational Background

  • Ph.D., Electrical Engineering, University of Oklahoma – 1975
  • M.E., Electrical Engineering, Texas A&M University – 1971
  • B.S., Electrical Engineering, Texas A&M University – 1970

Research Interests

    • Electric power engineering
    • Power system protection
    • Control and automation of power systems
    • Power systems real-time diagnostics and failure waveform analytics
    • Forensic engineering
    • Engineering ethics
    • Engineering professionalism

Certifications & Memberships

  • Member, National Academy of Engineering
  • Member, National Academy of Forensic Engineers
  • Member, National Academy of Inventors
  • Fellow, Great Britain Institution of Engineering and Technology
  • Fellow, National Society of Professional Engineers

Awards & Honors

  • Past President, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Power and Energy Society
  • Vice President, U.S. National Committee (USNC) International Council on Large Electric Systems (CIGRÉ)
  • Meritorious Service Award, Power and Energy Society – 2006
  • Millennium Medal, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers – 2000
  • Past Chair, National Academy of Engineering Electric Power and Energy Engineering Section 6
  • Distinguished Achievement Award in Research, Association of Former Students, Texas A&M University
  • Herman Halperin Electric Transmission and Distribution Technical Field Award, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
  • Electrotechnology Transfer Award, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
  • R&D 100 Award, Development of the Digital Feeder Monitor
  • Outstanding Engineering Achievement Award, National Society of Professional Engineers

Selected Publications

  • “Power-Line Caused Wildfires: Separating Fact from Fiction,” at California Conference of Arson Investigators (CCAI), San Luis Obispo, CA, October 21, 2024.
  • Wischkaemper, J. A., Benner, C. L., Russell, B. D., Manivannan, K., “Electrical Characterization of Vegetation Contacts with Medium Voltage Conductors: Summary of Field Experiments,” CIGRE Grid of the Future Symposium, Raleigh, NC, October 2024.
  • Wischkaemper, J. A., Russell, B. D., Benner, C. L., Manivannan, K., “Utilizing Substation-based Monitoring to Improve Condition Assessment of Distribution Networks,” CIGRE Paris 2024, C4 Power System Technical Performance, Paris, France. August 2024.
  • Benner, C. L. (presenter), Russell, B. D., “Avoiding Wildfire Ignition by Early Detection of Powerline Equipment Failure,” proceedings of the 77th Annual Conference for Protective Relay Engineers, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, March 26-28, 2024.
  • Benner, C. L. (presenter), Russell, B. D., “Distribution Circuit Health Monitoring – Detection of Incipient Failures,” proceedings of the 77th Annual Conference for Protective Relay Engineers, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, March 26-28, 2024.
  • Wischkaemper, J. A., Benner, C. L., Russell, B. D., Manivannan, K., “Utilizing High_Quality Waveform Data to Detect and Diagnose Protection Misoperations and Anomalies,” 17th International Conference on Developments in Power System Protection, Manchester, United Kingdom, March 2024.
  • Wischkaemper, J.A., Benner, C. L., Russell, B. D., Manivannan, K., “Discovering and Diagnosing Protection Anomalies on Distribution Systems,” 2023 CIGRE USNC Grid of the Future Symposium, Kansas City, MO, October 2023.
  • Wischkaemper, J.A., Benner, C. L., Russell, B. D., Manivannan, K., “Online Automated System for Incipient Fault and Failure Detection of Distribution Apparatus Using Waveform Disturbances,” CIRED 2023 International Conference & Exhibition on Electricity Distribution, Rome, Italy, June 2023.
  • Russell, B.D., Benner, C.L., Wischkaemper, J. A., and Manivannan, K, “Incipient Electric Circuit Failure Detection and Outage Prevention Using Advanced Electrical Waveform Monitoring,” IEEE Industry Applications Magazine, May/June 2023, pp. 36-45.
  • Russell, B. D., Benner, C. L., Wischkaemper, J. A., and Manivannan, K, “Unintended Consequences of Extra Sensitive Protection,” Proceedings of the 76th Annual Conference for Protective Relay Engineers, Texas A&M University, March 27-30, 2023.
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