Principal Investigator
Prof. Saikat Dey
Prof. Dey earned his PhD and MS degrees in Systems Engineering from Arizona State University in 2025 and 2023, respectively, and his bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur, in 2018. From 2018 to 2020, he worked as a Power Electronics Design Engineer at Tagore Technology (now part of GlobalFoundries). In 2023, he served as a Power Conversion Control Intern at Lucid Motors, where he worked with the vehicle charging team.
Dey’s research interests include the design, modeling, optimization, and control of multi-order power electronic converters, as well as high-frequency, high-density, and highly efficient power conversion solutions using wide-bandgap semiconductors. His work finds applications in clean energy systems, transportation electrification, extreme temperature and space electronics, and AI-assisted parameter estimation, health monitoring, reliability studies, and optimized converter design.
He has authored or co-authored over 40 peer-reviewed IEEE Transactions and conference papers, co-invented five pending U.S. patents, and is the co-author of one Springer Nature book. His past research has been sponsored by NASA, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), the Department of Energy (DOE), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and CoolCAD Electronics.
Prof. Dey has received numerous awards and recognitions, including the 2025 Dean’s Dissertation Award by ASU, 2023 IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics Second Place Prize Paper Award, the Best Presentation Award at the 2022 Applied Power Electronics Conference, the 2023 Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing AZ Fellowship, the 2022 IEEE Industrial Electronics Society HOPE Prize, and the 2018 Best Bachelor’s Thesis Award from the Indian National Academy of Engineering.
Present Research Team
Graduate Students
S M Saifullah Arman
Bio:
Saif is a first-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Central Florida. He completed his bachelor’s degree in Mechatronics and Industrial Engineering at Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET), Bangladesh. His academic interests have been strongly influenced by a passion for space electronics and transportation electrification. His research interests focus on the dynamic modeling and advanced control of high-density, high-efficiency piezoelectric transformer-based power converters. His vision is to develop control-oriented models and intelligent control strategies that enhance performance, stability, and power density in next-generation energy conversion systems. Saif enjoys hands-on work in hardware and experimentation. Besides, He loves traveling, reading science fiction, and watching documentaries.
Contact: sm427848@ucf.edu
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sm-arman
Jonah Sprandel
Bio:
Jonah is a first-year M.S. student in Electrical Engineering at the University of Central Florida, where he previously earned my B.S. in Electrical Engineering in May 2025. He is originally from Illinois, and came to UCF as a National Merit Scholar in 2021. He was initially drawn to power electronics through a fascination with high-power EV charging systems and the infrastructure that supports electrification. His research interests include power converter topology development, control systems for converters, and real-time embedded software. he has gained hands-on experience through internships with L3Harris and several local power electronics companies. Outside of academics, he enjoys playing pickleball, being involved at the local church, and working on personal embedded software projects.
Contact: jonah.sprandel@ucf.edu
Dewan Mohammad Asad
Bio:
Dewan is an incoming PhD student in Electrical Engineering at the University of Central Florida (UCF), joining in Fall 2026. He completed his undergraduate degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), one of the most prestigious engineering institutions in South Asia, and is currently pursuing his Master’s there. Originally from Dhaka, Bangladesh, his research interests lie in solid-state circuit breakers and intelligent control of power converters. What drew him to power electronics was a desire to bridge his passions for AI and hardware. Outside the lab, Dewan is an avid fitness enthusiast and a passionate follower of professional wrestling, MMA, and combat sports.
Contact: de354492@ucf.edu
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dewan-mohammad-asad-096a73174/
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=I4AQ9ewAAAAJ&hl=en
This can be You!
Undergraduate Students
Matthew Giannacco
Bio:
Matthew is a junior in Electrical Engineering at the University of Central Florida, with a strong interest in power electronics and analog systems. He discovered power electronics through his work as an Undergraduate Learning Assistant for Linear Circuits, where supporting students with circuit analysis concepts sparked curiosity about converter design. His research interests include design and modeling of DC-DC converters, and highly efficient power conversion solutions using wide-bandgap semiconductors. He has gained hands-on experience through personal projects, simulations, and an internship with Texas Instruments. Outside of academics, Matthew enjoys hiking, exercising, cooking, and working on cars.
Contact: giannacco@ucf.edu
Ashthami Shetty
Bio:
Ashthami is a sophomore majoring in Electrical Engineering at the University of Central Florida with a strong interest in semiconductors and power electronics. As an undergraduate research assistant at DPEL, she is involved in assembling and testing microcontroller boards and will also contribute to developing a Python GUI-based lab test bench automation set up.
Contact: as073106@ucf.edu
Tanish Pilli
Bio:
Tanish is an Electrical Engineering undergrad at the University of Central Florida with interests in power electronics, power conversion, and energy-efficient electrical systems. He is interested in developing high-performance hardware solutions for modern electrification challenges, with technical interests spanning converter design, system modeling, digital control, and hardware implementation. His broader interests include sustainable energy technologies, advanced power systems, and the intersection of hardware and control systems for next-generation electrical applications. He is motivated by applying fundamental electrical engineering principles to improve the efficiency, performance, and reliability of modern power conversion systems. As an undergraduate research assistant at DPEL, he is working towards developing application-specific custom-built microcontroller board for miniaturized power electronic converters. He is also developing a Python-based lab test bench automation setup.
Contact: ta515086@ucf.edu
Nyasa Kumar
Bio:
Nyasa is a sophomore majoring in Electrical Engineering at the University of Central Florida with a strong interest in semiconductors and power electronics. As an undergraduate research assistant at DPEL, she is involved in assembling and testing microcontroller boards and will also contribute to developing a Python GUI-based lab test bench automation set up.
Contact: ny950061@ucf.edu
