Expertise: Power electronics, energy conversion, optimization and reliability studies of power electronic systems

Ayan Mallik sees his responsibility as an educator as more than preparing students for careers. He wants to supply the world with more highly skilled engineers to help alleviate looming threats to the well-being of the planet’s inhabitants.

Continuing population growth and sprawling industrialization are just two of the trends increasing the possibility of widespread energy crises. It’s one of several big resource shortage challenges Mallik says make it of “immense importance” to achieve advances in his field of power electronics.

His research focus is on electrical energy conversion. Innovation in that domain would have benefits in areas ranging from transportation, data center power supply, wireless power transfer, solar-energy photovoltaics and consumer electronics.

The biggest impact Mallik wants his work to have is on enabling a transition from conventional electrification systems to technologies that provide “clean, efficient and renewable energy.”

Mallik says he chose to join Arizona State University because its “interdisciplinary nature” opens the door to creative research collaborations to achieve that goal with the aid of colleagues in a variety of engineering and science specialties.

He hopes to also develop unique courses that give students both a stronger grasp of the theoretical foundations of electrical engineering and deeper insights into practical solutions to real-life power systems problems.

His students should be prepared to be pressed to “think outside the box,” to strengthen their analytical skills and develop “a passion for learning,” he says.

Mallik comes to ASU after having won more than a dozen awards in the past five years that attest to his talents as a scholar, researcher and inventor.

Most notably he earned a first-place award for his doctoral dissertation from the University of Maryland’s engineering school and the university’s Invention of the Year Award. He was also one of 10 finalists in an International Future Energy Challenge competition organized by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers.

Mallik’s pursuits outside of engineering include solving math puzzles and playing soccer, table tennis and chess.