Juan Balda, professor emeritus of electrical engineering and computer science at the U of A, is the recipient of the 2025 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Power & Energy Society Nari Hingorani Custom Power Award.

The award recognizes individuals who made major contributions to the advancement and application of custom power technologies. The award is named in honor of Narain Hingorani, a pioneer in power electronics and flexible alternating current transmission systems.

"When I first received the announcement, it was a surprise," Balda said. "I'm happy, but these awards truly represent a team effort. I sent a message to my former doctoral students who helped me along the way as soon as I received the email."

Balda said, "I have continuously focused on this topic from 1990 to basically when I retired in July 2023, but my graduate students deserve this award as much as I do."

Balda served as head of the Department of Electrical Engineering for 13 years during his 34-year tenure at the U of A.

He added, "My students spent long days working on those prototypes, making sure that they work. They got their degrees; they're working in the industry, but now they see that their effort was not in vain."

Balda said receiving the award is especially meaningful, considering that he started to read Hingorani's papers on flexible alternating current controllers when he began working at the university in 1989.

He also credited the National Center for Reliable Electric Power Transmission with enabling real-world testing that few institutions can match.

"Having a test facility like NCREPT allowed us to do that testing," Balda said. "It's very difficult for most universities to have a facility for high-power and high- and medium-voltage testing. In simulations, you're in a controlled environment; you start experiencing nonlinearities you just don't see in software."

Balda also acknowledged the High Density Electronics Center for enabling the development of medium-voltage prototypes.

"Power modules based on silicon carbide devices were designed, built and tested there," he said. "NCREPT then enabled us to test these medium voltage prototypes. Few universities have such capabilities, so the fabrication and testing facilities at the University of Arkansas were essential for our accomplishments in the broad area of custom power."

Balda will be formally recognized at the IEEE Power & Energy Society General Meeting, held July 27-31 in Austin, Texas. He will receive a medal and plaque.