Daniel Molzhan will address sustainability challenges as a Dow Fellow

When Daniel Molzahn arrives at Michigan this fall to begin his work as a postdoctoral researcher, he will come as a Dow Sustainability Fellow. He is one of six postdoctoral scholars to be selected for this new program, which supports individuals at the University of Michigan who are committed to finding interdisciplinary, actionable, and meaningful sustainability solutions on local-to-global scales.

Daniel will work with Ian Hiskens, Vennema Professor of Engineering, to help upgrade the nation’s current electric system for 21st century society. Of primary concern is responding to society’s need for constant and reliable electrial energy. For example, stated Mr. Molzahn, it has been estimated that power interruptions currently cost businesses $79 billion dollars per year.

With his interdisciplinary background in optimization and policy analysis. Daniel plans to apply new optimization techniques and policy analyses to current and expected problems in electric power systems.

Daniel Molzahn received his B.S. degree in electrical engineeirng and mathematics, his M.S. degree in electrical engineering (along with a certificate in energy analysis and policy) and is completing his Ph.D. in electrical engineering with a focus on electric power systems, all at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He has received a Grainger Power Engineering Scholarship and an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. He has authored more than 10 journal and conference articles, and co-authored technical reports for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and others.