News

Gerald Bernard Sheblé has been selected as the first Maseeh Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Portland State University.

“In our quest for excellence, endowed professorships such as the Maseeh Professorship of Electrical and Computer Engineering assist us in attracting the top academic talent needed to advance the Maseeh College’s initiative of being regionally relevant and internationally prominent in a select core of disciplines that are most important to the current and future needs of the region,” said Dean Robert D. Dryden.

Sheblé will deliver a free, public lecture, “Location! Location! Energy System Information and Valuation,” Thursday, April 27, 4–6 p.m., at the new Fariborz Maseeh Auditorium in the Northwest Center for Engineering, Science and Technology (1930 SW Fourth Ave., Portland). His talk will examine information flows as suppliers and buyers interact to plan and operate the energy grids of the future.

“Generation, distribution, and the search for new alternative sources of renewable energy are some of the most important challenges facing our society. Our goal is for the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) to become a leading regional force in bringing together researchers from engineering, economics, urban studies and public policy to develop new, integrated and innovative solutions to these challenging problems,” said Malgorzata Chrzanowska-Jeske, professor and ECE department chair.

In January 2006 Sheblé moved to Portland State from Iowa State University where he chaired the Electric and Power Energy System program. Iowa State University has a long-standing international reputation for education and research in electric power engineering.

Sheblé holds a B.S. (1971) and an M.S. (1974) in electrical engineering from Purdue University, a Ph.D. (1985) in electrical engineering from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute, and an M.B.A. (2001) from the University of Iowa. He has authored publications on capital budgeting and contract valuation methods, power network planning, risk assessment under various degrees of uncertainty, economic implications of the U.S. power market evolution, and structures and formulations for electric power auctions.

He was elected an IEEE Fellow in 1996 by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers “for contributions to the development of Auction Methods as an alternative to power system optimization methods addressing the de-regulation of the electric utility business.” IEEE, a non-profit organization, is the world’s leading professional association for the advancement of technology. He also is a member of the IEEE-USA Energy Policy Committee, an Honorary Faculty member of the University of Porto (Portugal) and an Erskine Fellow with the University of Canterbury (New Zealand).

Sheblé’s research is focused on the application of classical optimization, artificial life techniques, and economic and financial analyses of power generation, a field experiencing significant changes including liquid fossil fuel depletion, increasing viable alternative energy sources, and new efficiencies in storage, transportation and consumption. His research also looks at the information requirements to value energy through the supply chain—at its source and as it is transported, converted to other energy forms, stored and consumed. Through new educational materials and an Energy Systems Information Infrastructure Laboratory (ESI2 Lab) under development, Sheblé hopes to improve understanding of energy system economics, which can then better guide development, allocation and utilization of new technologies.

The Maseeh Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering was established in 2004 by Dr. Fariborz Maseeh, founder and president of The Massiah Foundation, as part of the largest gift in Portland State University’s history—$8 million from the Foundation to PSU’s College of Engineering and Computer Science. In recognition of the gift, the College became the Fariborz Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science.

Located in the heart of Oregon’s Silicon Forest, PSU’s Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science is uniquely positioned to deliver progressive engineering and computer science education. By teaming with regional industry and government, faculty members keep the curriculum current and prepare PSU students to make an immediate contribution to the workforce through participation in Senior Capstone design projects, internships and research opportunities. During this academic year, the Maseeh College had a total enrollment of over 1,800 students in its undergraduate and graduate programs, including over 600 Electrical and Computer Engineering students enrolled in undergraduate, master’s and doctoral programs. The Maseeh College consists of five departments: Civil and Environmental Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Engineering and Technology Management and Mechanical and Materials Engineering.

Source:
Pamela Gesme Miller (503-725-8135)
Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science

For Immediate Release (#06-068)