Current Graduate students

Kris Jensen is pursuing his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering. He earned a BS in Computer Engineering in 2001 and earned an MS in Electrical Engineering in 2002 from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. Since 2002, Kris has worked as an Electrical Engineer performing research and product development within the aerospace industry and industrial electronics industry. Kris has worked for Littelfuse since 2011 as a Principal Electrical Engineer, developing protection relays to enhance electrical safety for personnel and equipment. His Ph.D. research will enhance the speed and accuracy of electrical arc detection algorithms under Dr. Long Zhao.

Somaieh Kharazi is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering at South Dakota Mines as a graduate research assistant. She holds a Master’s degree in Power System Engineering from Semnan University (Iran, 2021) and a Bachelor’s degree in the same field from Azad University of Tabriz (Iran, 2017). Her research interests include data-driven modeling in power systems, renewable energy integration, and the stability and reliability of power systems 

Owen Stenstadvolden is presently pursuing the Electrical Engineering Accelerated Master’s Program, with an anticipated graduation date of May 2025. Prior to this, he is set to complete his Bachelor of Science degrees in Electrical Engineering and Mathematics from South Dakota Mines in May 2024.

As part of his Master's program, Owen is conducting innovative research on the correlation between snowfall and the energy output of solar PV systems. His research focuses on the development of a model that considers the ambient environment and PV panels. This work is being done under the supervision of Dr. Long Zhao in the Smart Grid and Energy Research Lab.