Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing
Faculty and Staff
Behrooz Mirafzal
| Title: | MCEC Distinguished Professor |
| Department: | Mechanical Engineering Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing |
| Email: | mirafzal@sc.edu |
| Office: | Room 3A14, Third Floor Swearingen Engineering Center 301 Main Street, Columbia, SC 29208 |
| LinkedIn: | My LinkedIn profile |
| Resources: | My Website My CV Google Scholar |
Education
Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, USA, in 2005
Background
Dr. Behrooz Mirafzal received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Marquette University,
Milwaukee, WI, USA, in 2005. From 2005 to 2008, he was a Senior Development/Project
Engineer with Rockwell Automation, Mequon, WI, focusing on research and development
of motor drive systems.
He began his academic career in 2008 as an Assistant Professor in Electrical and Computer
Engineering. From 2011 to 2025, he served at Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS,
where he advanced to Endowed Full Professor and Graduate Program Director. In 2025,
he joined the University of South Carolina as the MCEC Distinguished Professor of
Electrical Engineering.
Awards
Dr. Mirafzal’s honors include the NSF CAREER Award (2014), NSF EPSCoR First Award (2012), multiple IEEE Prize Paper Awards (2008, 2012, 2020, 2024), and the Innovation Award from Rockwell Automation (2006). At Kansas State University, he received the Louie T. Marshall Engineering Professorship, the George Yeh and Michelle Munson-Serban Simu Keystone Research Scholar Awards, the Frankenhoff Outstanding Research Award (2019), and several additional university-wide recognitions for research, teaching, and service before joining the USC.
Research Overview
Dr. Mirafzal's research interests include power electronics applications in energy conversion systems, motor drives, and grid-interactive converters, with emphasis on ultra-compact and smart converter technologies that enhance the efficiency, reliability, and resiliency of energy infrastructure.
Accolades
Dr. Mirafzal currently serves as Vice Chair of the IEEE Industry Applications Society (IAS) Renewable and Sustainable Energy Conversion Systems Committee. He was an Associate Editor of the IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications from 2011 to 2021 and has served as an Associate Editor of the IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics since 2018. He has authored or coauthored more than 150 journal and conference papers and holds four U.S. patents. He is also the author of the book Power Electronics in Energy Conversion Systems (McGraw-Hill, 2021).