Faculty

Director

Behzad Kordi, Ph.D., P.Eng.

Behzad Kordi received the B.Sc. (with distinction), M.Sc., and Ph.D. degrees all in electrical engineering from Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), Tehran, Iran, in 1992, 1995, and 2000, respectively. During 1998 and 1999, he was with the Lightning Studies Group at the University of Toronto, Canada. In 2002, he joined the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, University of Manitoba, Canada where he is currently a full professor and the director of McMath High Voltage Laboratory. His research interests include high voltage engineering, electromagnetic compatibility in power systems, simulation models of power transformers and transmission lines, and condition monitoring of high voltage apparatus. Dr. Kordi was the chair of URSI Canada Commission E in 2012-13. He is a member of a number of Cigre working groups pertinent to transient modeling of power system apparatus. He is also an associate editor of IEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation and IET High Voltage. Dr. Kordi is a registered professional engineer in the province of Manitoba and was the recipient of 2012 IEEE EMC Richard B. Schulz best transactions paper award.

Collaborators

Greg E. Bridges, Ph.D., P.Eng.

Dr. Greg E. Bridges received the Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada in 1989. He is currently a Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Manitoba and is Principal Investigator of the Advanced RF Systems Lab. He holds several patents in the areas of microwave nanoprobe instrumentation and wireless sensors.

His current research interests include transmission line theory, RF sensors, cavity magnonics, microwave scanning probe microscopy and bio-electromagnetic microfluidic systems.

Dr. Bridges is currently a member of the IEEE MTT-28 Biological Effects and Medical Applications Technical Committee.

Derek Oliver, Ph.D., P.Eng.

Derek Oliver read chemical physics at the University of Western Australia before completing the PhD degree at Monash University (Melbourne, Australia). His doctoral work was an industrial collaboration that saw the development of novel cathode materials for hollow-cathode atomic absorption spectroscopy sources, and the translation of these into production. Since arriving at the University of Manitoba, he has adapted scanning probe microscopy techniques for analysing microelectromechanical structures, and developed techniques for growing and characterizing doped silicon microwires for solar energy conversion. His current research focus on developing new insulation materials for high voltage applications with particular emphasis on benchmarking laboratory-scale testing/performance of materials. An active member of CIGRE, he was the Canadian representative to Study Committee D1 from 2014 – 2022. Dr. Oliver is currently a member of AG D1.03 and is the Secretary to WG D1.82 Additive Manufacturing/3D Printing in Service of the Electrical Power Industry). He serves as Director of the Manitoba Institute for Materials and as Head, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Dr. Oliver maintains registration as a P.Eng. (Manitoba and Saskatchewan) and as a C.Eng. (UK).

Douglas Thomson, Ph.D., P.Eng. 

D.J. Thomson is a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Manitoba. Dr. Thomson has extensive experience with electronics and instrumentation systems, including a record setting capacitance sensor and sensors systems used for single cell analysis. He has also developed and deployed a real-time instrumentation system for monitoring bridges. His present research interests include creating instrumentation for bridges, cell physiology monitoring and ground rod corrosion. He has published over 140 journal papers, is co-inventor on 11 patents. He has also held positions as Chief Technology officer Intelligent Structures (2015-2024), Assoc. Dean Research (99-2004, 2011-17), and Professor. He is a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering.

Athula Rajapakse, Ph.D., P.Eng.

Dr. Athula D. Rajapakse joined the University of Manitoba as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in 2004, and currently holds a rank of Professor. He has a diverse background in Power and Energy Systems related areas. His current research activities mainly focuses on Power System Protection and Renewable Energy Integration. Prof. Rajapakse is a Senior Member of IEEE, a Registered Professional Engineer in the province of Manitoba, Canada, and a Fellow of Engineers Canada. He is an active member of a number of Cigre and IEEE working groups.