Dr. Zongjie Wang of Colorado State University

How can we ensure reliability and resilience in power systems that are increasingly supported by non-dispatchable resources? What strategies effectively manage uncertainty from resource and demand variability? Can advanced optimization inform broader risk-aware planning beyond real-time operations? In this seminar, Dr. Zongjie Wang will discuss the progressive period optimal power flow (PPOPF), an innovative optimization framework designed to optimize energy dispatch decision-making under uncertainty. While PPOPF traditionally supports reliability and efficiency in transmission grid operations, it can also enhance distribution grid resilience against extreme events. Integrating stochastic optimization and energy modeling, PPOPF supports real-time decision-making, improves restoration strategies, and minimizes power outage risks. In addition, I will also discuss how PPOPF can inform broader interdisciplinary applications, such as proactive vegetation management, system-resilience planning, and stakeholder-focused engagement.

Biography:

Dr. Zongjie Wang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and an affiliated faculty member in the Department of Systems Engineering at Colorado State University (CSU). She also serves as the Director of the Grid Modernization Initiative at CSU’s Energy Institute. Dr. Wang is recognized for her expertise in optimizing hybrid transmission and distribution operations, as well as her impactful contributions to grid resilience, vegetation management, and energy policy. As the lead principal investigator on multiple projects
funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, Eversource Energy, national laboratories, ISO New England, MISO, and private Foundations, her work focuses on building resilient energy infrastructure, promoting efficient energy systems, and integrating interdisciplinary approaches to enhance grid reliability. Before joining CSU, Dr. Wang was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Connecticut and served as Associate Director of the Eversource Energy Center, where she led initiatives in grid modernization, workforce development, and industrial educational training. Prior to UConn, Dr. Wang was a postdoctoral research associate in Systems Engineering at Cornell University from 2018 to 2021 and a lecturer from 2019 to 2020. She also spent over six months collaborating with the Ministry of Energy in Accra, Ghana, to improve power quality and grid infrastructure planning. Dr. Wang is the General Chair of the 57th North American Power Symposium in 2025, with a focus on student engagement, academic collaboration, and workforce training. She is a Senior Member of IEEE, Vice Chair for IEEE High Plains Section, Vice Chair for the IEEE Power and Energy Education Committee (PEEC) Award Subcommittee, Secretary for IEEE Denver Section, Secretary for the IEEE PEEC Research Subcommittee, and a member of various IEEE Power & Energy Society (PES) subcommittees. Dr. Wang collaborates with many utilities, software vendors, independent  system operators, and other institutions.

Email:

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