Assistant Professor Hector Pulgar

Hector Pulgar, Assistant Professor in the Min H. Kao Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, has received the National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award for his proposal, “Towards enhanced grid robustness: Augmenting grid regulating capabilities through discrete controls on emerging power technologies.”

The award will provide $500,000 over a five-year period for Pulgar to transform the dynamic robustness of the power grid against disturbances by expanding the limited capabilities of emerging power technologies through the design of discrete control logics. Emerging technologies such as solar power, energy storage systems and wind turbines are considered. In addition, Pulgar has elaborated an outstanding educational plan that will leverage the research through specific projects and through the creation of mentoring programs targeted for Hispanic American students at both college and pre-college levels.