IEEE Power Electronics Society

Empowering engineers since 1987

This page contains a record of the IEEE Power Electronic Society’s rich history and honor those who performed voluntary tasks with zeal and energy that far surpassed the requirements called for by the Society. It also conveys to future generations of engineers devoted to the power electronics field that they do not stand alone, and their work and dedication continues the efforts of those who came before them.

History Chair

Dean Patterson

Past PELS President

Timeline

20 to 21-Apr-1970

First edition of the IEEE Conference on Power Electronics Specialists (PESC) (originally the Power Conditioning Specialists Conference) held in Greenbelt, Maryland, USA

25 to 27-Oct-1978

First edition of the IEEE International Communications Energy Conference (INTELEC) (originally the International Telephone Energy Conference) held in Washington, DC, USA

22 to 23-Aug-1988

First IEEE Workshop on Control and Modeling for Power Electronics (COMPEL) (originally the Workshop on Computers in Power Electronics) held in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, which is the first IEEE PELS “smaller conference”

Past Presidents

2021 - 2022

Liuchen Chang

2019 - 2020

Frede Blaabjerg

2017 - 2018

Alan Mantooth

2015 - 2016

Braham Ferreira

2013 - 2014

Dong Tan

2011 - 2012

Dushan Boroyevich

2009 - 2010

Deepak Divan

2007 - 2008

Hirofumi Akagi

2005 - 2006

Rik DeDoncker

2003 - 2004

Dean Patterson

2001 - 2002

Thomas Habetter

1999 - 2000

Philip Krein

1997 - 1998

Jerry Hudgins

1995 - 1996

Thomas Jahns

1993 - 1994

Fred C. Lee

1991 - 1992

Thomas G. Wilson, Sr.

1989 - 1990

Pierre Thollot

1987 - 1988

John Kassakian

1983 - 1986 (Council)

Trey Burns

Society History

Empowering engineers since 1987

History Chair

Timeline

First edition of the IEEE Conference on Power Electronics Specialists (PESC) (originally the Power Conditioning Specialists Conference) held in Greenbelt, Maryland, USA

First edition of the IEEE International Communications Energy Conference (INTELEC) (originally the International Telephone Energy Conference) held in Washington, DC, USA

The Power Electronics (PE) Council is formed

First international PESC held in Toulouse, France

First issue of the IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics (TPEL) is published

First edition of the IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference (APEC) held in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

The PE Council becomes the IEEE Power Electronics Society (PELS)

First IEEE Workshop on Control and Modeling for Power Electronics (COMPEL) (originally the Workshop on Computers in Power Electronics) held in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, which is the first IEEE PELS “smaller conference”

PESC becomes one of the first major IEEE conferences to have a formal international rotation between Asia, Europe, and the United States

First edition of IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition (ECCE) held in San Jose, California, USA as a result of a merge involving PESC

First issue of the IEEE Power Electronics Magazine (MPEL) is published

PELS establishes the IEEE Open Journal of Power Electronics (OJPEL), its first open-access publication

PELS membership surpasses 13,000 members

Past Presidents

2021 - 2022

Liuchen Chang

2019 - 2020

Frede Blaabjerg

2017 - 2018

Alan Mantooth

2015 - 2016

Braham Ferreira

2013 - 2014

Dong Tan

2011 - 2012

Dushan Boroyevich

2009 - 2010

Deepak Divan

2007 - 2008

Hirofumi Akagi

2005 - 2006

Rik DeDoncker

2003 - 2004

Dean Patterson

2001 - 2002

Thomas Habetter

1999 - 2000

Philip Krein

1997 - 1998

Jerry Hudgins

1995 - 1996

Thomas Jahns

1993 - 1994

Fred C. Lee

1991 - 1992

Thomas G. Wilson, Sr.

1989 - 1990

Pierre Thollot

1987 - 1988

John Kassakian

1983 - 1986 (Council)

Trey Burns

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