Johann W. Kolar

Biography

Johann W. Kolar is a Fellow of the IEEE and received his Ph.D. degree (summa cum laude) from the Vienna University of Technology, Austria. He is currently a Full Professor and the Head of the Power Electronic Systems Laboratory at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich. He has proposed numerous novel PWM converter topologies (e.g. the VIENNA Rectifier, Sparse Matrix Converter, and SWISS Rectifier), and modulation and control concepts and has supervised over 60 Ph.D. students. He has published over 750 scientific papers in international journals and conference proceedings, 3 book chapters, and has filed more than 140 patents. He has presented over 20 educational seminars at leading international conferences, has served as IEEE PELS Distinguished Lecturer from 2012 through 2016, and has received 25 IEEE Transactions and Conference Prize Paper Awards, the 2014 IEEE Power Electronics Society R. David Middlebrook Achievement Award, the 2016 IEEE William E. Newell Power Electronics Award, the 2016 IEEE PEMC Council Award, and the ETH Zurich Golden Owl Award for excellence in teaching. He has initiated and/or is the founder of 4 ETH Spin-off companies. The focus of his current research is on ultra-compact and ultraefficient SiC and GaN converter systems, wireless power transfer, Solid-State Transformers, Power Supplies on Chip, as well as ultra-high speed and ultra-light weight drives, bearingless motors, and energy harvesting.

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