Dr. Ramesh Shankar has been named director of Lehigh University's Energy Systems Engineering Institute (ESEI) on July 1, 2016. Shankar succeeds Rick Blum, the Robert W. Wieseman Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, who served as ESEI interim director over the past year.
As assistant director of UNC's Electric Power Infrastructure Center, Shankar helped to expand it's research in grid modernization, smart grid, renewable energy and energy utilization. This included industry and utility partnerships, development of agency funding and technology demonstrations to constituents and stakeholders.
Previously, he has served as vice president and chief technology advisor to the Tennessee Valley Authority, where his duties included management of renewable energy technologies, electric transportation and infrastructure, and technologies for power generation delivery.
Shankar's previous appointments include serving as president and CEO of Signatech Systems, where he led efforts to develop asset management and fleet-wide monitoring for a large Asian utility, and as program manager and market director for the Electric Power Research Institute. He also consulted with the International Atomic Energy Agency on nuclear power requirements for developing countries.
Shankar completed his undergraduate work at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, and earned his Ph.D. in Applied Sciences from the University of Delaware as well as an Executive MBA from Queens University.
