Electrical Engineering Department Head to Retire After More Than Three Decades at U of A

Photo Submitted

Juan Balda, head of the Department of Electrical Engineering

Juan Balda has announced his retirement after a career spanning 34 years at the U of A, including 13 serving as head of the Department of Electrical Engineering.

His retirement marks the end of a remarkable career filled with transformative contributions to electrical engineering education and research, said Dean Kim Needy, dean of the college. She praised Balda's leadership and tireless advocacy.

"His legacy will continue to shape the university and inspire future generations of students, faculty and alumni in the years to come," she said. "I will miss the way he can make you laugh, sometimes even during the toughest moments."

Balda's work ethic and unwavering dedication to the program earned him the admiration of peers.

"No one works harder in the college than Dr. Balda," said John English, professor of industrial engineering and former dean of the college. "He is in the office all the time, including many weekends. As department head, he ran the unit faithfully and diligently while carrying a full research and service load."

Balda earned his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Universidad Nacional del Sur in Argentina and Ph.D. from University of Natal in South Africa. He worked as a visiting assistant professor at Clemson before joining the U of A College of Engineering in 1989.

Reflecting on his time at the U of A, Balda expressed pride in the achievements of the electrical engineering undergraduate program.

"Our undergraduate program is among the best within our region, including bordering states and beyond. I am proud of having contributed to this achievement. Our undergraduate students have more opportunities beyond the classroom that enrich their educational experiences," Balda said.

Balda's influence has extended beyond the classroom and into research. He was the only faculty member studying his area of power engineering when he joined the college. Today, power engineering covers traditional power systems but is transitioning to a new energy paradigm relying on renewable energy sources, utility-scale energy storage and new high-voltage power semiconductor devices based on silicon carbide materials - a much broader field that also includes electric propulsion. "Having been part of this transformation was an excellent professional experience. Today, the UA Power Group is one of the most important research teams in the United States and, I would say, the world," Balda said.

Longtime collaborator Alan Mantooth, Distinguished Professor of electrical engineering, expressed his admiration and gratitude for their partnership.

"It has been a pleasure working with Dr. Balda these past 25 years. For the past 20 years, we have worked together and built one of the strongest power electronics programs in the world. We have done what no one would have thought possible in projects, facilities, faculty, staff, students and contributions. There are so many details that I could cite in a two-decade grand endeavor, but I will just say that he has been a great and steadfast partner. It has been a great pleasure to walk this journey with him, and I want to wish him the best in retirement."

Balda said leading the department has been rewarding, but it's the people who he will miss.

"On the personal side, I have been blessed to work with individuals committed to undergraduate and graduate education — whether they were staff, faculty or administrators — all enabled me to move the department to a higher level. I will definitely miss working with them," Balda said.

Looking ahead, Balda plans to enjoy the freedom retirement offers, including traveling, reconnecting with friends and playing tennis.

"One does not have much control over one's time while being a head of department or a faculty member teaching and performing research. So, I am looking forward to having more control of my time for playing some national tennis tournaments for my age group," Balda said. "Novak Djokovic does not need to worry."

The department plans a retirement reception for Balda 1 to 4 p.m. June 30 in Bell Engineering 3008, the electrical engineering study lounge. RSVP by June 28 to cljamies@uark.edu.