Regents Professor Anjan Bose has been honored with a lifetime achievement award by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Power and Energy Society (IEEE-PES). This accolade acknowledges his groundbreaking contributions to the automation and control of power grid operations, as well as his dedication to training and education within the field. The lifetime achievement award is reserved for power engineers who have made substantial, career-long contributions to their discipline.
Bose has dedicated more than 50 years to research related to the electric power grid, initially working in the industry as an engineer before transitioning to academia. He has been part of the faculty at Washington State University (WSU) since 1993, where he holds the title of Distinguished Professor of Electric Power Engineering.
Reflecting on the recognition, Bose expressed his deep gratitude for the many individuals who have supported him throughout his career, stating, “When one is recognized for the success of a long and varied career, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the dozens of individuals who helped in making it possible and their caring and belief in me I can cherish all my life.”
His work includes the development of training simulators and computational tools aimed at enhancing the reliability of power systems. His research in the operation and control of power grids has resulted in significant advancements in power system control technology, which have been adopted in the industry. These innovations include improved computer controls for electric generation and transmission systems, which help prevent blackouts. Additionally, the computer simulator he created is utilized globally to train power grid operators. Bose has also participated in investigations into major power outages in the East Coast and Midwest, aiming to prevent future occurrences.
Beyond his research contributions, Bose served as the director of the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, later becoming the dean of the College of Engineering and Architecture from 1998 to 2005. In 2005, he acted as a senior advisor for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, offering insights on market oversight and grid reliability. He continued this role as a senior advisor to the Undersecretary of Energy during the Obama administration in 2012.
Bose is a distinguished member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering and a Foreign Fellow of both the Indian and Chinese National Academies of Engineering. He was a founding member of the Washington Academy of Sciences and received WSU’s Eminent Faculty Award in 2008, the institution’s highest faculty honor.
Throughout his career, he has received several prestigious awards, including the Outstanding Power Engineering Educator Award, the Third Millennium Medal, and the Herman Halperin Electric Transmission & Distribution Award from IEEE. Furthermore, he has been recognized as a distinguished alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, and Iowa State University’s College of Engineering.
Partha Pande, dean of the Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture, praised Bose’s extensive work to enhance the reliability of the electric power grid, emphasizing his contributions to understanding and preventing large outages and his efforts in training grid operators.
Bose will be formally recognized at the IEEE-PES annual meeting scheduled for July 29 in Austin, Texas.
