Biography
As a graduate student in the WISPO lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I spend much of my time in computer labs writing code or reports. To balance my commitment to my research, I enjoy outdoor activities throughout the year. The spring and fall are mostly for disc golf and rock climbing, the winter is for cross-country skiing, and the summer is dominated by my role as a captain for an Ultimate Frisbee team in the MUFA league. Biking is, of course, a year-round sport in Madison, Wisconsin.
Interests
- Power Systems Optimization
- Climate Change Adaptation
- Software Development
Education
PhD in Electrical Engineering - Power Systems, Ongoing
University of Wisconsin-Madison
PhD Minor in Energy Analysis and Policy, 2022
University of Wisconsin-Madison
BSc in Electrical Engineering, 2019
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Experience
Market Optimization Engineer
- Study price volatility in ERCOT and SPP markets
- Model utility operations of customer DERs to reduce price exposure
- Develop software package to identify potential partnerships with customer DERs
Research Assistant
- Develop methods and software tools for research in power systems optimization modeling
- Research focus in modeling decisions for topology change, such as grid restoration and public saftey power shutoffs
- Projects include PowerModelsRestoration.jl, PowerModelsWildfire.jl, PowerPlots.jl, and PGLib.jl
Research Intern
- Develop optimization framework for power grid restoration
- Create algorithm heuristics for grid restoration planning
- Analyze test systems for validation on HPC system
Teaching Assistant
Teaching Assistant for ECE 524: Introduction to Optimization
Research Intern
- Develop standardized model for mixed AC and DC microgrid analysis
- Present a report to the Department of Energy on potential energy savings
Awards
Best Paper Award
Best Poster Award
Best Paper Award
Wisconsin Distinguished Graduate Fellowship
IEEE Power Engineering Society Student Fellowship
Projects
Select Publications
(2023).
Co-optimization of Power Line Shutoff and Restoration Under High Wildfire Ignition Risk.
2023 IEEE Belgrade PowerTech.
(2021).
Balancing Wildfire Risk and Power Outages Through Optimized Power Shut-Offs.
IEEE Transactions on Power Systems.
(2020).
The Role of Distributed Energy Resources in Distribution System Restoration.
55th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences.
Contact
- nrhodes@wisc.edu
- Madison, WI 53706