Ajit Kanale Receives Outstanding Ph.D. Student of the Year Award from the College of Engineering

Congratulations to Ajit Kanale for receiving the College of Engineering 2021-22 Outstanding Ph.D. Student of the Year Award!

Congratulations to Ajit Kanale from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering for receiving the 2021-22 Outstanding Ph.D. Student of the Year Award from the College of Engineering. In addition to his recognition, Kanale will receive $1,000, a plaque, a gift from graduate programs and will be added to the recurring plaque of acknowledgement for past recipients in the Dean’s office. 

Graduate students spend their time at NC State striving to make a difference in their communities through their discipline. The College of Engineering Graduate Programs Award is meant to recognize and reward the outstanding leadership, service and accomplishments of its students. To be eligible, graduate students had to submit a resume and receive a nomination from a faculty member. The winners of the awards were decided by nine judges who are COE faculty members.

Kanale’s Ph.D. Student of the Year Award focuses on his achievements within teaching, leadership, research, citizenship and recruiting. His work was guided by co-advisors Professor B. Jayant Baliga and Professor Subhashish Bhattacharya. Jayant Baliga nominated Kanale based on “his doctoral research, Ajit Kanale demonstrated a new approach (BaSIC topology) to improving the short-circuit withstand time for power transistors made from wide bandgap semiconductors silicon carbide and gallium nitride. This solves one of the main application issues for these devices in motor drive applications such as electric vehicles. His approach has prevented repetitive short-circuit failures of these devices for the first time. He also worked on characterization of a new 4 terminal monolithic power switch (BiDFET) that enables revolutionary advancement in matrix converters. He has published 32 papers, included in 5 journals and 15 conference papers as first author.”

The College of Engineering also announced that Shelly Hunt of Biological and Agricultural  Engineering received the 2021-22 Outstanding Masters of the Year Award.

Congratulations to Ajit Kanale for receiving the College of Engineering 2021-22 Outstanding Ph.D. Student of the Year Award!