The joint chapter of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Power Electronics Society, Power and Energy Society and Industry Applications Society (IEEE PELS-PES-IAS) at Texas A&M University was named the highest performing student chapter in North America and placed fourth across the globe by the IEEE PES.
IEEE PES is a worldwide, non-profit association engaged in providing a forum for sharing the latest in technological developments in the electric power industry.
“A lot of hard work and enthusiasm was invested in organizing many events, and the results are beginning to show,” said Dr. Miroslav Begovic, department head and Carolyn S. & Tommie E. Lohman ‘59 Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and immediate past president of the IEEE PES. “Our students and their professors are making us all proud.”
“This recognition is a result of the dedication of an exemplary group of student leaders in our department as well as the support from our faculty advisors,” said Payman Dehghanian, graduate student in the department and president of IEEE PELS-PES-IAS.
The student organization, advised by Dr. Le Xie and Dr. Robert Balog, associate professors in the department, has facilitated several high-impact learning experiences for graduate students in the electrical and computer engineering department that went above and beyond required degree program activities.
Dehghanian, who has led the organization since 2015, attributes the success to interdisciplinary learning activities, professional development opportunities, research marketability and networking facilitation.
“We are proud to offer training opportunities toward career goals that incorporate oral and written communication development, instruction and assessment skills for our student members,” said Dehghanian. “Their participation in interdisciplinary learning activities allows them to learn about research in other disciplines and establish collaborative research with senior scholars and networks that may exist outside school.”
This year, the student organization launched the Texas Power and Energy Conference, the first ever student-run conference in the electric power industry in the state of Texas.