Rate My Professor Rik De Doncker

Prof. Dr. Ir. Rik W. De Doncker is Universitätsprofessor holding the Chair of Power Electronics and Electrical Drives within the Engineering faculty at Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen (RWTH Aachen University). He serves as Director of the Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives (ISEA), Director of the E.ON Energy Research Center – Power Generation and Storage Systems (PGS), and Director of the Research Campus Flexible Electrical Networks (FEN). De Doncker obtained his Diploma in Electrical Engineering (Burg. ir.) in 1981 and his Doctorate in Electrical Engineering (Dr. ir., summa cum laude) in 1986 from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium. He was Professor Honoris Causa at Riga Technical University in 2011. His early career included positions as Visiting Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1987–1988), Research Fellow at IMEC Leuven (1988–1989), Senior Research Engineer and Project Manager at General Electric Corporate Research and Development in Schenectady, New York (1989–1994), and Vice President Technology at Silicon Power Corporation in Malvern, Pennsylvania (1994–1996). Since joining RWTH Aachen in 1996 as Professor and Head of ISEA, he assumed directorship of the E.ON Energy Research Center in 2006.

De Doncker's research centers on power electronics, electrical drives including switched reluctance machines, medium-voltage DC distribution grids, high-power converters such as dual-active bridge topologies, renewable energy integration, electric vehicles, battery systems, and EMI mitigation. He has authored over 400 publications, holds more than 40 patents, and edited books including Medium Voltage DC System Architectures (2021), Advanced Electrical Drives: Analysis, Modeling, Control (2020), Fundamentals of Electrical Drives (2007), and Semiconductor Power Devices (2011). His innovations, such as the dual active bridge DC-DC converter (1988) and auxiliary resonant commutated pole converter (1990), have influenced energy-efficient power conversion for electric vehicles and smart grids. Major awards include the IEEE Medal in Power Engineering (2020), IEEE William E. Newell Power Electronics Award (2013), IEEE PELS Harry A. Owen Distinguished Service Award (2014), IEEE PES Nari Hingorani Custom Power Award (2008), IEEE IAS Outstanding Achievement Award (2002), IEEE Fellow (2001), RWTH Fellow (2014), and election as International Member of the National Academy of Engineering. He was President of the IEEE Power Electronics Society (2005–2006), served on the VDE-ETG Board (2007–2013), and holds roles in the European Power Electronics and Drives Association Executive Council. De Doncker has supervised 42 PhD theses and teaches courses on power electronics, electrical drives, and high-power semiconductors.