High-Voltage Horizons: Sanjana Bhalekar’s Energy Internship at Eaton

Master’s student Sanjana Bhalekar ’26 is spending her summer immersed in power electronics at Eaton, where hands-on engineering and leadership insights are shaping her path in sustainable energy.

For Sanjana Bhalekar ’26, mornings begin with a French vanilla latte and a full schedule of hands-on projects. As a Power Electronics intern at Eaton Corporation in Pittsburgh, she is part of the company’s power component division, where she programs controllers, works with advanced testing equipment and learns how real-world systems support a more sustainable future.

Bhalekar, a master’s student in electrical engineering at NC State and a certificate student in Renewable Electric Energy Systems, is spending her summer programming in Python, applying her hardware knowledge and using tools such as oscilloscopes, function generators and digital multimeters. Her work contributes to the development of reliable and efficient circuit protection systems.

Beyond the technical experience, Bhalekar has found inspiration in the people around her. One of the most exciting moments of her internship came from meeting senior leaders across the organization, including the director of her team and the president of Eaton’s power component division.

“These conversations gave me so much insight,” Bhalekar said. “They shared lessons about time management, leadership, perseverance and humility. These are life skills that are just as important as anything we learn in class.”

Her work on electronics for circuit breakers has deepened her understanding of how engineering principles translate into real systems. Working on live projects has brought clarity to concepts she first encountered in the classroom.

“When you step into industry and work on real systems, you begin to understand the fundamentals in a new way,” she said. “It is meaningful to know the work we are doing supports a sustainable society.”

Collaboration has been another key part of her summer. Working with engineers from other teams introduced her to new applications for power electronics. What she once saw as a technology used mostly in vehicles or inverters, she now sees as a field that drives innovations in protection systems and grid reliability.

Later this month, she will take part in a field visit to Eaton’s Beaver plant, where she will see how circuit breakers are manufactured and assembled. While her own team works behind the scenes, she is eager to connect her work to the products in the field.

Bhalekar credits her experience at NC State with preparing her for the challenges of the internship. She thanked Professor Zeljko Pantic for his mentorship at the FREEDM Systems Center and his coursework in resonant power converters. She also noted Professor John Gajda’s class in communications and SCADA systems as another key part of her preparation.

This summer has reinforced Bhalekar’s commitment to a career in sustainable energy. Whether writing code, designing hardware or learning from mentors, she is building the skills and perspective to help power a cleaner future.