Keynote Speaker

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2022 Conference Keynote Address

"Research as a Self-Discovery Process: Identifying and Fostering Your Inner Talents"

Dr. Farhad Ashrafzadeh

Saturday, March 26, 2022  /  8:30 - 9:30 AM CST

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Presentation Description

Dr. Ashrafzadeh will share his research and education philosophy for the student-driven research at the WKU Center for Energy Systems with some real examples and then share the lessons learned with the students and research mentors, showing how to outreach companies, establish industrial collaboration, and bring funded research for student engagement in applied research and real-world skill development. 

 

Biography

Dr. Farhad Ashrafzadeh is a professor of electrical engineering, the Greulich Chair of Energy Systems, and the founding director of the Center for Energy Systems at WKU. He is the holder of over 70 granted patents, which has made him an internationally recognized researcher in the field. He has more than 25 years of industry and academic experience in the conceptualization, development, and commercialization of new products and products’ functions and features.

Dr. Ashrafzadeh founded the Research Center for Energy Systems at WKU in 2018, which has brought more than $2M research funds to WKU from leading global companies such as Samsung, Tempur-Sealy International, and Black and Decker Inc. The Center has engaged more than 110 undergraduate students in developing new products and real-world problem-solving. The Center has become a true engine for workforce development in technology for Southern Kentucky and beyond.

Dr. Ashrafzadeh received the prestigious “University Award on Innovation and Impact on Outstanding Corporate-Sponsored Research” in 2018, the “WKU One-Million Dollars Grant Club Award” in 2019, and the “WKU Faculty Award in Research and Creativity,” -- the highest research award at the University in 2020, and the Ogden College Teaching Award in 2015. Dr. Ashrafzadeh was the Keynote Speaker for the “IEEE International Electrical Machines and Drives Conference” San Antonio, Texas, a former associate editor for the IEEE Transaction on Industrial Electronics. He is a certified Six-Sigma Black-Belt Engineer. His scholarly interests include autonomous systems, new product development, and engineering education.