How power devices landed Anant Agarwal the highest professional distinction for inventors

Audrey van Schagen
Thu, 29 Jan 2026 03:51:05 +0000
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The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering where Anant Agarwal, a NAI fellow, teaches. Credit: Daniel Bush | Campus Photo Editor

The National Academy of Inventors have accepted 23 fellows from Ohio State since 2013 and Anant Agarwal is one of three in the most recent cohort.

Agarwal, a professor in electrical and computer engineering, was elected to the highest professional distinction awarded to inventors.

Professors Alan Luo, in electrical and computer engineering and Dehui Pei, in chemistry and biochemistry, were the two other professors from the university elected into the program. The Lantern published a profile on each.

Before coming to Ohio State in 2017, Agarwal led a multidisciplinary team of 15 researchers and engineers at Cree, Inc., where he guided the development of silicon carbide, or SiC, power devices from basic concepts, to working prototypes, to commercial production, he said in an email. Today, these devices are found in everything from electric vehicles to locomotives, ships and aircraft.??

After being appointed as senior advisor to the U.S. Department of Energy, Agarwal said he led a national initiative that allowed domestic manufacturers to create the power devices.

The devices were further developed with PowerAmerica, an American manufacturing USA company.

“PowerAmerica played a transformative role in accelerating the design, manufacturing, and adoption of SiC power devices across the United States,” Agarwal said. “罢丑别 institute enabled a broad range of companies, from startups to established industry leaders, to access manufacturing expertise, shared infrastructure, and translational research pathways.”?

In addition, Agarwal led other programs to advance his field, with initiatives including implementing technology for driving megawatt-scale, industrial electric motors and promoting advanced materials research, Agarwal said.

“Collectively, these experiences reinforced a core principle that has guided my career: transformative technologies are never built in isolation,” Agarwal said. “Success requires a coordinated ‘village’ comprising universities, small and large industries, government agencies, and individuals united by a shared vision and the motivation to solve complex, high-impact problems,” he said.

Agarwal said when aligned effectively, these groups can turn ideas into society-benefitting technologies. Agarwal’s research on wide bandgap power electronics has remained focused on developing and advancing SiC power devices for the past 35 years, with the goal of enabling high-performance power conversion in lots of applications, he said.?

SiC power devices can be found in electric vehicles, solar inverters, power supplies, data centers and other large-scale industrial motor drives. Agarwal said in the future, the devices are looking to assist with wind energy systems, electric grid management, locomotive traction and power distribution in ships, aircraft and hybrid-electric airplanes.

These power devices also hold the potential to expand access to clean energy. Agarwal said this would help improve air quality and as a result, reduce the environmental footprint of electrical systems.?

Agarwal said this feat is a career goal of his and these power devices take about 40-50 years to progress from their initial concept to industrial adoption.

“I am deeply committed to contributing across this full arc of innovation, from foundational research to large-scale deployment, to ensure that SiC power technology archives its full impact on society,” Agarwal said.?

Agarwal said he was originally drawn to the university when he saw the Center for High Performance Power Electronics, or CHPPE, focused on facilitating wide band gap devices in power electronic applications. He also said a more general draw was the university’s “unparallelled strength in power electronics research.”.?

“罢丑别 Center has provided an outstanding ecosystem of world-class researchers, highly motivated students and state-of-the-art laboratory infrastructure, enabling me to pursue high-impact research while training MS and PhD students at the forefront of [SiC] power device technology,” Agarwal said.?

Agarwal said his election to the NAI Class of 2025 Fellows is an honor and a powerful affirmation of the research he’s conducted over the past 35 years.?

“Beyone the recognition itself, this distinction serves as a renewed source of motivation to accelerate the advancement and deployment of this technology to address some of the most critical challenges facing our electric grid,” Agarwal said.?

In addition to advancing innovations, Agarwal said it is equally important to educate, mentor and inspire the next generation of engineers, scientists and innovators to equip them with the ability to “create a self-sustaining chain of talent development that extends well beyond any single career.”?

Agarwal said his professional values and career trajectory is a nod to his Ph.D. advisor, Marvin White, a professor in electrical and computer engineering at Ohio State, whom he has known since 1981.?

“Prof[essor] White not only provided rigorous training in device physics but also instilled in me a strong sense of professional responsibility, integrity, and service to the broader academic community,” Agarwal said.

With White’s mentorship, Agarwal was taught that research must be met with kindness, respect and an overarching commitment to support students, colleagues and staff, he said. Solving problems in the field requires collaboration, a shared effort and an emphasis on group goals.?

In 2012, Agarwal was elected as an IEEE Fellow, an elite distinction for those with outstanding accomplishments in any Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers fields, for his contributions to SiC technology.?

The 15th Annual NAI Conference to honor the 2025 Class of Fellows will be held in Los Angeles on June 4, 2026.