Power electronics is a foundational technology that drives a wide range of important and emerging applications including cloud computing, wireless communications, robotics, and smart energy systems. By systematically managing the increased complexity in materials, circuits, and systems, new opportunities are created to greatly advance the functionality and performance of power electronics systems.

This speech provides a few examples to illustrate the potential of managed complexity in power electronics design. These include: 1) artificial intelligence and machine learning for managed complexity in passive component modeling; 2) modular and scalable architecture for managed complexity in high performance circuits; and 3) integrated electrical-mechanical co-design for managed complexity in robotics and metamaterials. This managed complexity approach addresses key challenges in emerging applications by overcoming traditional design barriers from new angles and redefining how power electronics are conceived and implemented in complex systems.

Minjie Chen is an Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Associated Director for Research in the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment at Princeton University. He received his Ph.D. in EECS from MIT and his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Tsinghua University. He is a recipient of the IEEE PELS Richard M. Bass Outstanding Young Engineer Award, Princeton SEAS Junior Faculty Award, the NSF CAREER Award, the Princeton Innovation Award, and more than 13 prize papers from top-tier IEEE journals and conferences. He is a PELS Distinguished Lecturer and was listed four times on the Princeton Engineering Commendation List for Outstanding Teaching.

Vehicles drive our national economy. In the U.S. alone, they transport more than 11 billion tons of freight and travel over 3 trillion miles per year. A decade ago, electrification was a hope and a promise to reduce the cost of moving people and goods and to improve air quality in major urban cities. As recently as last year, infrastructure investments were skyrocketing, and full electrification seemed inevitable. Today, with competition on the grid from energy demands of AI and data centers and shifts in federal policy and support, the best path forward is under question.

In this keynote, we will highlight the current status and challenges ahead for transportation electrification in the US. We will further consider where technology advances in power electronics could have significant impact. Examples of recent advancements and status of public-scale pilot projects will be provided, including medium-voltage grid-tied solid-state transformers, DC distribution at multi-megawatt charging hubs, distribution level grid management algorithms, megawatt scale wireless charging for heavy-duty trucks, and high power in-road wireless charging for all vehicle classes.

Dr. Regan Zane is the founding Director of the Center for Advancing Self-sufficiency through Powered Infrastructure for Roadway Electrification (ASPIRE). Headquartered at Utah State University, ASPIRE is a National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center involving 10 universities, 4 national labs, more than 85 faculty and staff, more than 300 students, and more than 60 industry and innovation partners. He holds the David G. and Diann L. Sant Endowed Professor position at Utah State University in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Prior to joining USU, he was Assistant and Associate Professor with the University of Colorado-Boulder, Colorado Power Electronics Center, and a Research Engineer with GE Global Research Center, Niskayuna, NY, USA. He has co-authored more than 200 peer-reviewed publications and the textbook Digital Control of High-Frequency Switched-Mode Power Converters (New York, NY, USA: Wiley, 2015), and he is named on more than 35 issued patents. He has recent and ongoing research programs in power electronics for electric vehicle charging infrastructure, including extreme fast charging and static and dynamic wireless charging, battery management systems, dc microgrids, grid-tied and grid-interactive converters, and grid integration of energy storage and renewable energy.

Dr. Zane was recipient of the National Science Foundation Career Award in 2004, the 2005 IEEE Microwave Best Paper Prize, the 2007 and 2009 IEEE Power Electronics Society Transactions Prize Letter Awards, and the 2008 IEEE Power Electronics Society Richard M. Bass Outstanding Young Power Electronics Engineer Award. He was also recipient of the 2006 Inventor of the Year, 2006 Provost Faculty Achievement, 2008 John and Mercedes Peebles Innovation in Teaching, and the 2011 Holland Teaching Awards from the University of Colorado, and the 2021 Researcher of the Year Award from Utah State University. He is a Fellow of the IEEE.