Electric energy systems are undergoing profound changes as they become increasingly interdependent with other infrastructures. The changes originate from within (new key components, such as inverters and storage), from the expanding system boundaries (transportation), and strengthened connections with other societal infrastructures, communications, water, and gas. The advent of new technologies related to renewable sources and electronic loads has increased the number and variability of transients. Recent events, such as the 2025 blackout in Spain and Portugal, underscore the need for a deeper understanding of hybrid systems that combine traditional (electromechanical) with new sources and loads (electronic). These processes have implications for education, which needs to combine depth in the discipline with a broad understanding of rapidly evolving fields, like AI and power semiconductors. The electric energy program at Santa Clara has initiated a reexamination of its undergraduate and graduate offerings with the aim of being responsive to industry needs while preparing students for the rapidly evolving profession. This workshop offers an opportunity to network with SCU friends and affiliates, as well as to collaborate on outlining future directions in research and teaching related to electric energy systems.
Location: Santa Clara University, Sobrato Campus for Discovery and Innovation (SCDI) building, rooms 1302/1308
*This is an in-person event
Schedule of Events:
8:00 a.m. – Breakfast/Registration
9:00 a.m. – Welcome and Opening Remarks
Dean Kendra V. Sharp
9:15 a.m. – Reliable and Secure Electrical Energy Delivery in the Times of Change
Keynote Speaker – Damir Novosel, CEO, Quanta
10:15 a.m. Break
10:30 a.m. – Rethinking Modeling, Computing, and Control for Changing Electricity Service
Marija Ilic, Professor, MIT
12:00 p.m. Lunch
1:00 p.m. – Seeing Before Believing – Sensing and Power Quality Monitoring in Emerging Power Systems
Alex Stankovic, Professor, SCU
2:00 p.m. Break
2:30 p.m. – Inverter Interfaces for the Future Grid
Leo Casey, Chief Scientist, Google
3:30 p.m. – Power and Energy Program at SCU
Maryam Khanbagi, Associate Professor, SCU
4:00 p.m. Break
4:15 p.m. Panel on Workforce Development for the Future
- Page Crahan - General Manager, Tapestry at X, the Moonshot Factory, Google
- Robert Entriken - Technical Executive, Electric Power Research Institute
- Akhil Batheja, Director of Product Strategy, Bloom Energy
- Jon Eric Thalman - Senior Director, System Performance, Reliability and Resiliency Strategy, PG&E
5:00 p.m. Networking Hour
*For any questions, please email: mkhanbaghi@scu.edu.