College of

Engineering, Architecture and Technology

Dr. Hamid Nazaripouya, assistant professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, was recently named a Distinguished Fellow of Electrical and Computer Engineering.   

 

The honor is a department-level recognition that honors junior faculty members in ECE who demonstrate exceptional performance in both research and teaching early in their careers.   

 

“Being named a Distinguished Fellow of Electrical and Computer Engineering is a highly special recognition, as it is awarded to select faculty members who have demonstrated exceptional excellence and productivity in their field,” Nazaripouya said. “It is a prestigious honor that highlights significant accomplishments in teaching, research and scholarship.
  

“Given that the award is discretionary and granted at the department head's decision, it serves as a distinguished mark of trust and confidence in the recipient's leadership potential and impact.”  

 

Dr. Guoliang Fan, professor and interim head of ECE, said the department allocates its foundation fund to promote and reward excellence in teaching, research and academic achievement.  

“This support is directed toward early-career tenure-track assistant professors or recently tenured associate professors,” Fan said. “The award is presented to an exceptional, innovative, and highly productive and engaging ECE faculty member, selected at the discretion of the School Head. Currently, the department has two faculty fellows, including Dr. John Hu.”  

Dr. Nazaripouya’s research focuses on power systems and power electronics. He is currently the lead principal investigator and co-PI on several active projects, overall receiving multi-million-dollar funding. 
  

“Among his notable roles, he serves as the PI for a $2.1 million grant from NASA’s FireSense Technology Program, leading a three-year initiative that unites a multidisciplinary team from various colleges,” Fan said.   

“The project spans several key areas, including power system fault analysis, fire experimentation, ecology and wildfire modeling, wildland fire management, earth science, remote sensing, risk assessment and emergency services. This prestigious award underscores Dr. Nazaripouya’s outstanding leadership at both regional and national scales. In addition to his research, he is a highly respected instructor known for maintaining high academic standards and delivering exceptional teaching.”  

Nazaripouya said his favorite part of teaching students is witnessing their growth as they develop a deeper understanding of the subject matter and build their confidence. He also enjoys fostering their thinking and creativity, which can lead to unexpected discoveries and innovative solutions when they apply what they have learned to solve real-world problems.   

“Watching students evolve from understanding foundational concepts to contributing fresh perspectives and breakthroughs is incredibly rewarding and continuously inspires my own work,” Nazaripouya said. 
  

Nazaripouya commented that he aims to have a lasting impact on students by helping them develop their technical expertise, but also critical thinking, creativity and resilience. He has a goal of inspiring them to approach a challenge with curiosity and confidence, teaching the skills to solve real-world problems and make a meaningful contribution to their field.  

“Additionally, I work to create a collaborative and inclusive learning environment where students feel encouraged to think creatively and take initiative in their learning,” Nazaripouya said. “I want to empower them to take ownership of their academic and professional journeys. My goal is to prepare them to become leaders and innovators who drive positive change.”  

Fan said Nazaripouya plays a crucial role in the power and energy sector and will be vital to ECE while helping ensure that students interested in the field are well-equipped for their careers or are engaged in cutting-edge research in related areas.   

Nazaripouya’s students learn not only the fundamentals of power systems and power electronics, but also by delving into cutting-edge topics like AI-driven power system enhancement, advanced cyber-physical energy systems and integration of renewable energy, energy storage, power electronics and smart grid technologies. 
  

Since joining OSU in 2020, Nazaripouya has launched the Power Grid Modernization Lab, a unique research facility equipped with a cutting-edge cyber-physical power system (CPPS) testbed. This provides a realistic environment for validating CPPSs by integrating a supervisory control and data acquisition system with advanced techniques such as real-time simulation, power-hardware-in-the-loop simulation and human-interactive devices within a cross-infrastructure framework.   

This enables Dr. Nazaripouya’s team to test and validate emerging technology in a controlled lab setting, providing valuable research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students. The lab has so far supported the research of four Ph.D. students, three master’s students and several undergraduate students.   

“My commitment extends beyond just teaching and research,” Nazaripouya said. “I am passionate about contributing to the broader academic and professional community through outreach, mentorship and collaboration. I believe that engaging with industry partners, participating in professional organizations, and supporting the next generation of engineers are all vital aspects of driving progress and innovation in the field.