Jorge Rodas

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Short Bio

Jorge Rodas (Senior Member IEEE, Fellow IET) is a Paraguayan Professor born in Asuncion in 1984. He holds a B.Eng. degree in Electronic Engineering from the Universidad Nacional de Asuncion (2009), an M.Sc. degree from the Universidad de Vigo, Spain (2012), an M.Sc. degree from the Universidad de Sevilla, Spain (2013), and a dual-university PhD degree between the Universidad Nacional de Asuncion and the Universidad de Sevilla (2016). In 2021, he received his Master's degree from the National Defence Council, Paraguay.

In 2011, he joined the Laboratory of Power and Control Systems, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional de Asuncion, where he currently serves as a Professor and Research Director. He was a visiting professor at the Power Electronics and Industrial Control Research Group of École de Technologie Supérieure (Montreal, Canada) and the Center of Technological Innovation in Static Converters and Drives (CITCEA) of Polytechnic University of Catalonia (Barcelona, Spain), in 2017 and 2022, respectively. 

Prof. Rodas is an Associate Editor of Elsevier Alexandria Engineering Journal (AEJ) and IEEE Access and a Guest Editor of MDPI World Electric Vehicle Journal. He served as Guest Editor of the IEEE Journal of Emerging and Selected Topics in Power Electronics, MDPI Energies, MDPI World Electric Vehicle Journal, MDPI Sustainability and frontiers in Energy Research. In 2020, Prof. Rodas received the Paraguayan National Science Award. He has been categorised at Level III of PRONII. He has authored and co-authored two book chapters and more than 130 journal and conference papers.

His research interest focuses on applications of advanced control to real-world problems. Current research activities include applying finite control set model predictive control and nonlinear control to power electronic converters, renewable energy conversion systems, electric motor drives, and robotic systems (especially unmanned aerial vehicles).


Academic Profile*





Citations: 1235

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Citations: 1476

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i10-index: 47


*Updated on June 2, 2024.


News 2024

In May 2024, Professor Jorge Rodas was appointed a Technical Program Committee (TPC) member of the third IEEE URUCON 2024, held in Montevideo, Uruguay, from 18 to 20 November 2024. 


In April 2024, Professor Jorge Rodas received the prestigious Professor Andres Aguirre Excellence Award 2024. This award, given by the Cordillera Governorate through its Departmental Education Council (CODEC), recognizes individuals who have significantly contributed to education and research while serving exemplary role models for Cordillera's youth.

The award ceremony was held on April 25th at the Municipal Theatre in Caacupé, Paraguay. Professor Rodas stood out among distinguished educators and researchers for their outstanding dedication and impact on research.

This recognition is a testament to Professor Rodas' unwavering commitment to excellence and their significant contributions to advancing education and research in Cordillera. It reflects their tireless efforts to inspire and empower our community's next generation of leaders.


In April 2024, Professor Rodas was awarded as a Fellow of the prestigious Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). According to Prof. Rodas, this recognition fills him with profound gratitude as an academic committed to advancing engineering research and education. It is not just a personal achievement but a testament to the collective efforts of countless students, researchers, and colleagues locally and globally, particularly within the Laboratory of Power and Control Systems (LSPyC) at Facultad de Ingeniería - UNA (Universidad Nacional de Asunción). 


Entering the IET as a Fellow is a tremendous privilege and emphasizes the importance of our work in engineering and technology. This recognition serves as both motivation and responsibility to continue striving for excellence in research here in Paraguay while promoting our country's presence on the international scene. 


Prof. Rodas expresses his deepest gratitude to his family, mainly his wife (Ingrid) and sons (Jordi and Javi), whose unwavering support has been instrumental in his professional journey. Their encouragement has been a constant source of strength and inspiration. He also gives special thanks to Prof. Graham Goodwin (Newcastle University) and Pat Wheeler (University of Nottingham) for supporting this application and Ambrish Chandra (École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) for his guidance and motivation to consider this award. 


Prof. Rodas thanks Facultad de Ingeniería - UNA and Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología-CONACYT for their continuous support. Being designated as a Fellow of the IET is a significant milestone in his career, and he is immensely proud to represent Paraguay in this esteemed community. He looks forward to leveraging this platform to advance engineering and technology further in our country and beyond. 


The national press echoed this fantastic news. Some links are provided next, while some images are also given below.

In March 2024, Professor Rodas had the unique privilege of attending the DIES event in Guatemala. As one of twenty-five international deans, he actively engaged in a comprehensive learning experience as part of Module 4 of the International Deans' Course Latin America. 

During the four-day program, which commenced on March 11th, participants from diverse backgrounds, including Professor Rodas, delved into topics such as Freakonomics, Cross-Cultural Management, Gender and Diversity Management, Leadership, and Strategic Action Planning. Thanks to the diverse perspectives brought by the deans, the program was enriching. The experience finished with two days of the DIES IDC LA Alumni Networking Meeting. 

This immersive international program fosters academic growth and promotes cultural understanding and collaboration among future academic leaders. Professor Rodas's active participation and commitment to continuous learning demonstrate the program's effectiveness in enhancing leadership skills within the academic community.

In March 2024, Prof. Rodas was coauthor of one (1) accepted and published a paper in Machines (impact factor 2.6, citescore 2.1). The article is "Field-Weakening Strategy with Modulated Predictive Current Control Applied to Six-Phase Induction Machines".

Machines is an international, peer-reviewed, open-access journal on machinery and engineering published monthly online by MDPI.





February 2024, Prof. Rodas is coauthor of one (1) accepted and published paper in Electronics (impact factor 2.9, citescore 4.7). The article is entitled "Improving Steady State Accuracy in Field-Weakened Six-Phase Induction Machines with Integrator and Modulated Predictive Control".

Electronics is an international, peer-reviewed, open-access journal on the science of electronics and its applications published semimonthly online by MDPI. 





February 2024, Prof. Rodas is coauthor of two (2) accepted papers at the 2024 IEEE Transportation Electrification Conference & Expo, to be held in Rosemont, IL, USA, between 19 and 21 June 2024.





In February 2024, the Doctoral Program in Electronic Engineering emphasised power electronics commenced at the Faculty of Engineering, National University of Asunción (Paraguay). The inaugural module, Advanced Mathematics, was led by Prof. Jorge Rodas and Dr. Gustavo Rivas. This programme is funded by the National Council for Science and Technology (Conacyt) through its Paraguayan Programme for Science and Technology Development - PROCIENCIA II.





News 2023

October 2023. Octavio Vera has completed his Master's Degree in Electronic Engineering with an emphasis on Power Electronics at the Faculty of Engineering of the National University of Asunción (FIUNA) after presenting his thesis entitled "Optimization of the Super-Twisting Controller Gain Tuning Applied to the Flight Control of a Quadcopter based on the Particle Swarm Algorithm". Medina's master's thesis was developed under the supervision of Prof. Dr Jorge Esteban Rodas Benítez (FIUNA, Paraguay).




On November 21, 2023, the National Council for Science and Technology (Conacyt) announced Resolution No. 627/2023, revealing the list of evaluated candidates in the Call I/2023 of the National Program for Researchers' Incentives (PRONII). In this context, Prof. Jorge Rodas has been categorised at Level III of PRONII. PRONII categorises researchers who live in Paraguay into different levels based on their experience, postgraduate supervision and contribution to research. 


Level III is reserved for consolidated researchers with a long career and significant contributions to the development of research in Paraguay and worldwide. This level constitutes the highest categorisation a researcher can achieve in the country.



November 2023.  Prof. Rodas has attended the II Annual Meeting of Universidad Nacional de Asuncion (UNA) Research Directors. 

To analyze the future challenges of research at the UNA, the Second Annual Meeting of the Research Directors of the academy, the “UNA Scientific Colloquiums”, was held. The event took place last Monday, November 13, at the Information Access Center of the UNA Central Library.

The meeting was headed by Prof. Dr Javier Barúa, general director of Scientific and Technological Research (DGICT-UNA). It was also made up of research directors from the different academic units, centres and institutes of the UNA. The space, which was developed asa round table, presented the achievements, opportunities and challenges of scientific research of each participating unit.



October 2023. Prof. Rodas took on the role of president of the evaluation committee for a master's thesis. This thesis, titled "Design and Implementation of a Prototype of a Fast Charging Station for Electric Vehicles," represents a significant contribution to sustainable transportation. 

The Evaluation Committee, which included Prof. Dr. Edgar Maqueda and Prof. Dr. Leonardo Comparatore, both from FIUNA, Paraguay, played a vital role in assessing and recognizing the excellence of this work.



October 2023. Christian Medina has completed his Master's Degree in Electronic Engineering with an emphasis on Power Electronics at the Faculty of Engineering of the National University of Asunción (FIUNA) after presenting his thesis entitled "Analysis of switching losses in power electronic converters". Medina's master's thesis was developed under the supervision of Prof. Dr Jorge Esteban Rodas Benítez (FIUNA, Paraguay), and co-supervision of Prof. Dr Osvaldo González (FIUNA, Paraguay), Prof. Dr Magno Ayala (FIUNA, Paraguay) and Prof. Dr Alfredo Renault (FIUNA, Paraguay).

October 2023. Paola Maidana has completed his Master's Degree in Electronic Engineering with an emphasis on Power Electronics at the Faculty of Engineering of the National University of Asunción (FIUNA) after presenting his thesis entitled "Sequential predictive torque control applied to a six-phase induction machine". Maidana's master's thesis was developed under the supervision of Prof. Dr Jorge Esteban Rodas Benítez (FIUNA, Paraguay) and the co-supervision of Prof. Dr Osvaldo González (FIUNA, Paraguay), Prof. Dr Magno Ayala (FIUNA, Paraguay) and. MSc Larizza Delorme (FIUNA, Paraguay).

September 2023. Prof. Rodas represents the Faculty of Engineering at the National University of Asunción (FIUNA) in the prestigious 'DIES – International Deans’ Course.' This program, organized by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK), in collaboration with the Universities of Saarland (Germany) and Alicante (Spain), aims to empower newly elected Deans and Vice-Deans from higher education institutions across Latin America. Participants from Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, and Peru convene in Saarbrücken, Germany, for Module 1. Prof. Rodas Benítez's representation underscores FIUNA's dedication to enhancing academic leadership and fostering innovation in higher education in Paraguay.

August 2023. Prof. Rodas has been designed by the Paraguayan government as a participant in the 21st INPRO Dialogue Forum on the Deployment of Small Modular Reactor Projects and Technologies to Support the Sustainable Development Goals (SMRs for SDGs) to be held at the Rosatom Technical Academy, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, from 28 August to 1 September 2023. During the event, Prof. Rodas will be given a talk entitled "Development of future energy in Paraguay: challenges and opportunities.

 


August 2023. Prof. Rodas received distinguished recognition from the Cordillera Governor, Julio Cesar Romero, for his noteworthy contributions to scientific research. This recognition highlights Prof. Rodas's exceptional dedication and accomplishments within the realm of research.



July 2023. A significant milestone, the 1st Edition of the Doctoral Program in Electronic Engineering with an Emphasis on Power Electronics (POS16-5) at the Faculty of Engineering of the National University of Asunción (FIUNA) has culminated successfully. This accomplishment was marked by the presentation of a doctoral thesis titled "Predictive Voltage Control in Microgrid Applications Based on Multimodal Matrix Converters," performed by doctoral candidate David Caballero Morilla. The doctoral thesis stood out for its innovative approach and contribution to problem-solving in the context of the first global energy crisis. Prof. Jorge Rodas was a member of the examination board. The thesis defence occurred on Thursday, July 27th, at the Center for Technological Innovation (CITEC) in Luque. Dr Caballero Morilla's research was evaluated by a prestigious examination board comprising experts from renowned universities. The board's unanimous recognition of the high-quality research is a testament to Dr Caballero Morilla's outstanding achievements. 

You'll be able to read more about it here.



July 2023. Prof. Rodas was highlighted in Paraguay's newspaper La Nación for being recognised by the "Scival CICCO 2023 Award". You can read more about it here.



July 2022. On July 19, 2023, I had the privilege of receiving the "Scival CICCO 2023 Award" from Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología-CONACYT and Elsevier, recognizing me as the Paraguayan author with the most publications in one of the top 5% topics of global prominence, based on metrics extracted from Elsevier's extensive database. 🌍


This prestigious recognition is a testament to the outstanding teamwork and collaboration within the Power Systems and Control Laboratory (LSPyC) of Facultad de Ingeniería - UNA, Universidad Nacional de Asunción. My heartfelt gratitude goes to my dedicated colleagues and collaborators from Paraguay and worldwide, whose unwavering support and expertise have been instrumental in achieving this milestone.


Together, we are driving advancements in science and technology, and I am truly humbled to be part of such a dedicated and accomplished global community.


Thank you all for being an integral part of this journey. 

July 2022. Prof. Rodas is coauthor and corresponding author of one (1) paper accepted and published in the Elsevier Hardware X (CiteScore 4.2 Scopus). The paper is entitled " Design and validation of a multilevel voltage source converter based on modular H-bridge cells" and is free-access.



June 2023.  Prof. Rodas was invited as Conference Speaker in the Master's Program in National Strategic Planning and Conduction — Institute of Higher Strategic Studies, National Defense Council.



May 2023.  Prof. Rodas was invited as a Speaker in the Zhixin Lecture Hall at Tongji University (Shanghai, China). Tongji University is celebrating its 116th anniversary in May, and this talk is part of the College of Electronics and Information Engineering's activities in celebration. The talk is around 45 minutes, including Q & A at most 60 minutes. Listeners are graduate students of the abovementioned college from different disciplines. The ZOOM meeting information is as follows:

 https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81370203313

 Meeting number：81370203313 

Meeting password：206789 

Beijing Time 19:00-20:00, 26th May 

Asuncion Time 7:00-8:00, 26th May



May 2023.  Prof. Rodas visited during May 22-24, 2023 Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and Universidad San Sebastián, both a Santiago (Chile).



May 2023.  Prof. Rodas was a committee member of Mohammad Ali Hosseinzadeh's PhD Thesis defence as a part of the requirement for the PhD in Engineering Systems, University of Talca (Chile).



April 2023.  Prof. Rodas has been appointed as an Associate Editor at IEEE Access journal.

IEEE Access is a multidisciplinary, online-only, gold, fully open-access journal that continuously presents the results of original research or development across all IEEE fields of interest. Supported by article processing charges (APCs), its hallmarks are rapid peer review, a submission-to-publication time of 4 to 6 weeks, and articles that are freely available to all readers.


April 2023.  Prof. Rodas was highlighted in Paraguay's newspaper La Nación for his role as an invited editor in the IEEE Journal of Emerging and Selected Topics in Power Electronics (JESTPE). You can read more about it here.



April 2023.  Prof. Rodas has published a Guest Editorial for the Special Issue on Integrated Control and Modulation for Electric Drives at the IEEE Journal of Emerging and Selected Topics in Power Electronics.

In response to the call for papers, 30 manuscripts were received, and 15 articles were finally selected for publication. The manuscripts were submitted from several countries worldwide, such as Belgium, Brazil, Chile, China, Finland, Germany, Iran, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, and Spain. The 15 articles in this Special Issue cover various aspects of the selected Special Topic. Follow this link to read the Editorial, where each article will be briefly discussed.


March 2023.  Are you a researcher or expert in the field of electric drives for electric/hybrid vehicles? Do you have innovative ideas for high-performance control techniques for electric drives? If so, Prof. José Rodríguez and I invite you to submit your papers to our special issue on "Modern Control Techniques for Electrical Drives", Sustainability MDPI (IF: 3.889).


As we move towards a world with renewable energy sources, the role of electric vehicles in mitigating air pollution and climate change is crucial. To meet the standards for electric and hybrid electric vehicles, we need to apply advanced control techniques for the electric drives used in these vehicles. This special issue aims to bring together researchers and experts to contribute to the field of control of electric drives by proposing sophisticated control approaches.


The major topics of interest for this special issue include but are not limited to, advancements in nonlinear control such as sliding-mode or finite-control-set model predictive control, advancements in control of power electronics for integrating distributed energy resources, design, analysis, and applications of modern control techniques for electrical machines, optimization algorithms, fault detection and fault-tolerant control of electric drives, and control of power electronic converter topologies for motor drives.


Take advantage of this opportunity to contribute to this important and timely topic. Submit your papers now to be part of this exciting special issue.


Follow this link to read more about this special issue. https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability/special_issues/U6BI42S17

March 2023.  Prof. Rodas was featured in Paraguay's newspaper La Nación for participating in the IEEE-CPERE conference in Luxor, Egypt. Here is the link to read more.


March 2023.  Víctor Sebastián Gómez Valenzuela has completed his Master's Degree in Electronic Engineering with an emphasis on Power Electronics at the Faculty of Engineering of the National University of Asunción (FIUNA) after presenting his thesis entitled "Implementation of nonlinear control techniques for unmanned aerial vehicle flight. Gómez's master's thesis was developed under the supervision of Prof. Dr Jorge Esteban Rodas Benítez (FIUNA, Paraguay), and co-supervision of Prof. Dr. Osvaldo González (FIUNA, Paraguay), Prof. Dr Leonardo Comparatore (FIUNA, Paraguay), Prof. Dr. Maarouf Saad (ÉTS, Canada) and Prof. Dr. Yassine Kali (ÉTS, Canada). Part of the research was carried out during an internship at the Power Electronics and Industrial Control Research Group (GRÉPCI) of the School of Higher Technology (ÉTS) in Montreal, Canada, funded through the Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program (ELAP). 


February 2023. Prof. Rodas is coauthor of one (1) paper accepted in the MDPI Energies (JCR Impact Factor 3.252 CiteScore 5.0 Scopus).  The paper is entitled  "Discrete-Time Sliding Mode Current Control for a Seven-Level Cascade H-Bridge Converter".


February 2023. Prof. Rodas has been the Keynote Speaker at the "20th IEEE International Multi-Conference on Systems, Signals & Devices 2023", held in Mahdia, Tunisia.



February 2023. Prof. Rodas has attended and presented one paper at the  IEEE Conference on Power Electronics and Renewable Energy: IEEE CPERE, held in Luxor, Egypt.


January 2023. Prof. Rodas is coauthor and corresponding author of one (1) paper accepted in the MDPI Machines (JCR Impact Factor 2.889. CiteScore 3.1 Scopus).  The paper is entitled  "Enhanced Power Reaching Law Based Discrete-time TSM Current Control of a Six-Phase Induction Motor".


News 2022

December 2022. Prof. Rodas is coauthor and corresponding author of one (1) paper accepted in the  Elsevier Hardware X (CiteScore 4.2 Scopus).  The paper is entitled "Design and Validation of a Modular Control Platform for a Voltage Source Inverter".



November 2023. Prof. Rodas has been distinguished with the "Doña Nidia Sanabria de Romero" Award, Outstanding National Researcher Category, by the Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE). The Tribute and Award Ceremony took place on November 22, 2022, on the Opening Day of the XI Researchers Forum. This forum has been declared of interest by the National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT), the Ministry of Education and Science, the Association of Private Universities, the Scientific Society of Paraguay, and the Ministry of Youth.

November 2022. Prof. Rodas is coauthor of one (1) paper accepted in the MDPI Machines (JCR Impact Factor 2.889. CiteScore 3.1 Scopus).  The paper is entitled "Winding Design and Efficiency Analysis of a Nine-Phase Induction Machine from a Three-Phase Induction Machine".



October 2022. Prof. Rodas is coauthor and corresponding author of one (1) paper accepted in the MDPI Energies (JCR Impact Factor 3.252. CiteScore 5.0 Scopus).  The paper is entitled "Sliding Mode Current Control with Exponential Reaching Law for a Three-Phase Induction Machine fed by a Direct Matrix Converter".
















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