Nearly a dozen electrical engineering students, faculty and staff represented the University of Arkansas at the Advanced Power Electronics Conference in Long Beach, California, in March.

The Center of Excellence on Grid-connected Advanced Power Electronic Systems, or GRAPES hosted a booth in the conference's exhibition. GRAPES is a National Science Foundation Industry/University Cooperative Research Center. Through the center, U of A researchers work with industry partners to accelerate the adoption and insertion of power electronics into the electric grid in order to improve system stability, flexibility, robustness and economy.

Students assisted in staffing the booth and were able to speak to interested attendees regarding their work on GRAPES projects. GRAPES representatives also spoke with other exposition attendees, broadening their professional networks and working to build new collaborations with industry members.

This is the sixth year GRAPES students and faculty have attended this conference. Students attending the conference presented six papers and posters on their GRAPES projects and other related work.

APEC is considered the premier event in Applied Power Electronics. Sponsored by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, or IEEE, APEC focuses on the practical and applied aspects of the power electronics business. The conference has been held every year since 1986, and routinely hosts several thousand attendees from all over the world. It offers professional education seminars, plenary sessions, technical sessions, industry sessions and over 150 exhibitor booths.

For more information on GRAPES, contact T.A. Walton, managing director, 479-575-4487.