Engineering professor earns award from Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Power & Energy Society

Engineering

Engineering professor earns award from Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Power & Energy Society

Dr. Ayman EL-Refaie, Werner Endowed Chair in Secure/Sustainable Energy and professor of electrical and computer engineering in the Opus College of Engineering, has received the Cyril Veinott Electromechanical Energy Conversion Award from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Power & Energy Society. The award recognizes outstanding contributions to the field of electromechanical energy conversion and is given annually to a member of the IEEE Power & Energy Society advancing the power engineering area of electromechanical energy conversion. El-Refaie's award citation specifically reads, "for advanced electrical machines for transportation and aerospace systems."

"This award is an incredible honor to recognize Dr. El-Refaie's contributions to the field of power engineering," said Dr. Kristina Ropella, Opus Dean of the Opus College of Engineering. "His leadership at Marquette and around the world is improving the efficacy, economics and potential global impact of electric vehicles and renewable energy."

The honor for El-Refaie includes a plaque, a $5,000 honorarium, and recognition at the IEEE Power & Energy Society General Meeting.

Through nearly 22 years of research, EL-Refaie has conducted groundbreaking work in advanced traction motors, traction motors that reduce or eliminate rare-earth materials, fault-tolerant electrical machines for safety-critical applications, and high specific-power electrical machines, among others. He holds over 48 U.S. patents and his research in electric vehicles, hybrid/electric planes and renewable energy stands to influence the future of engineering innovation at Marquette and in Wisconsin - in addition to creating immense economic and environmental value globally.

EL-Refaie was named a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers in 2013 and was named a fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology in 2021. He is the 2022 winner of the IEEE IAS Industrial Power Conversion Systems Department Gerald Kliman Innovator Award and the International Conference of Electric Machines Arthur Ellison Achievement Award. El-Refaie was also elected fellow of the National Academy of Inventors that year.

He received the Nagamori Award from Japan for contributions to high-speed permanent magnet machines in 2019 and was named the 2021 Engineer of the Year by STEM Forward, metro Milwaukee's leading STEM education and outreach provider.

Learn more about El-Refaie's latest research efforts in a recent Q&A.

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