Wide bandgap devices, circuits, and application technologies have seen unprecedented world-wide growth in recent years. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Workshop on Wide Bandgap Power Devices and Applications provides a forum for device scientists, circuit designers, and application engineers from the IEEE Power Electronics Society, the IEEE Electron Devices Society, and the Power Sources Manufacturers Association to share technology updates, research findings, development experience and potential applications.

The fourth annual IEEE WiPDA Conference was hosted in Fayetteville on Nov. 7-9. Alan Mantooth, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering served as the general chair for this year's conference. In this position, he led the conference committee that worked diligently to create such a successful conference. Local committee members include Lauren Kegley, Jared Hornberger, Brandon Passmore — all with Wolfspeed in Fayetteville — Karin Alvarado and Mike Glover with the University of Arkansas.  

Two hundred people, including faculty, students and industry representatives, attended the three-day conference. Events included 10 keynote lectures and four tutorials delivered by leaders in wide bandgap technologies from across the world. Attendees toured some of the U of A's world-class power electronics facilities, attended receptions and viewed an ongoing industry exhibition. One highlight of the event was the student poster session and dinner held in the Miller Room at Razorback Stadium.

The Department of Electrical Engineering, the center for Grid-connected Advanced Power Electronic Systems and the center for Power Optimization of Electro-Thermal Systems were among the sponsors of the conference. The workshop was generously supported by several corporate sponsors whose names can be found on the conference website at www.wipda2016.org.

The WiPDA 2017 conference will be held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Oct. 30 and Nov. 1, 2017. 

For more information on WiPDA 2017, contact Robert Kaplar, general chair, rjkapla@sandia.gov.