Born in Bangalore, India, Prabha Shankar Kundur studied electrical engineering obtaining a BE degree (1959) from Mysore University and ME degree (1961) from the Indian Institute for Science. On a Commonwealth Scholarship, he began studies in Canada in 1963 obtaining an MASc (1965) and PhD (1967) in electrical engineering both from the University of Toronto.

Upon graduation from his doctoral studies, Dr. Kundur returned to India to teach at Bangalore University before accepting a position as Analytical Engineer at Ontario Hydro in 1969. During his almost 25 years at Ontario Hydro, he held senior level positions including Head of Systems Controls & Transient Section and Manager of Analytical Methods & Specialized Studies Department in the Power System Planning Division. In 1993, he joined Powertech Labs Inc, the research and technology subsidiary of BC Hydro where here served as President and CEO from 1994 to 2006 and was responsible for leading the development, application and commercialization of a wide range of new technologies for the energy sector. Most recently, Dr. Kundur was President of Kundur Power System Solutions Inc., Toronto, Ontario.

Dr. Kundur served as Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto (1979 to 2017), University of British Columbia (1994 to 2006), University of Manitoba (2006 to 2017) and Western University (1991 to 1999). He is the author of the book Power System Stability and Control (McGraw-Hill, 1994), which is a standard modern reference for the subject. He performed extensive international consulting related to power system planning and design, and has delivered advanced level technical courses for utilities, manufacturers and universities around the world.

Dr. Kundur had a long record of service and leadership in the IEEE. He chaired numerous committees and working groups of the IEEE Power & Energy Society (PES), and was elected a Fellow of the IEEE in 1985. He served as the Chair of the IEEE Power System Dynamic Performance Committee from 2001 to 2003. From 2004 to 2010, he served as a member of the IEEE PES Executive Committee and as the PES Vice-President for Education. He was the recipient of several IEEE awards, including the 1997 IEEE Nikola Tesla Award, 2005 IEEE PES Charles Concordia Power System Engineering Award, and the 2010 IEEE Medal in Power Engineering.

Dr. Kundur was also very active in CIGRE for many years. He served as the Chairman of the CIGRE Study Committee C4 on “System Technical Performance” from 2002 to 2006, and as a member of the CIGRE Administrative Council from 2006 to 2010. He was the recipient of the CIGRE Technical Committee Award in 1999. He was awarded the CIGRE Medal in 2014.

Dr. Kundur was elected as a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering in 2003 and as a Foreign Associate of the US National Academy of Engineering in 2011. He was awarded two honorary PhD degrees: Doctor Honoris Causa by the University Politechnica of Bucharest, Romania in 2003, and Doctor of Engineering, Honoris Causa by the University of Waterloo, Canada in 2004. In 2014, he received the University of Toronto Engineering Alumni Hall of Distinction Award.

To recognize his technical leadership, the IEEE PES Prabha S. Kundur Power System Dynamics and Control Award was established in his honor in 2012.

To his family, he was a source of great positivity, inspiration and generosity. He was a loving and devoted husband to Geetha Kundur (née Halkatti) for 55 years and great fun to his grandchildren, Linus and Ptolemy (Tolly), whom he took on family vacations and brought gifts for from around the world. He was especially proud of his daughter, Deepa Kundur, who in many ways followed in his footsteps.

His legacy will continue through the many students he has educated through his courses, papers and seminal book, through the colleagues he has mentored and supported over the decades and through his family whom he has inspired to live with a strong sense of purpose and service.

Thoughts in the memory of Prabha Shankar Kundur and for his family may be posted at: https://sites.google.com/view/prabha-shankar-kundur-memorial/home