A high-voltage scholarship

Originally published by Innomotics. Republished with permission.

Innomotics, a globally leading provider of electric motors and large drives systems, and the University of Pittsburgh’s Swanson School of Engineering, a university innovating processes and designs shaping the world, have awarded this year’s $10,000 Innomotics Peter Hammond Scholarship to Todd Marzec, a graduate student in the Swanson School’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. 

Announcement of the sixth annual scholarship comes during the 30th anniversary of the Perfect Harmony drive, Innomotics’ market-leading medium voltage drive – a high-power machine that 
controls the speed of large motors – invented by the award’s namesake and still built in New Kensington, Pennsylvania today. For the past 30 years, the Innomotics Perfect Harmony GH180 has stood strong as a leader in the medium voltage drive sector with over 25,000 units installed globally in the world’s most critical applications. 

The scholarship is presented annually to outstanding graduate students pursuing studies in electric power engineering who exemplify academic excellence, innovative research, and characteristics seen within Hammond while practicing. 

“I am incredibly honored to receive the Innomotics Peter Hammond Scholarship. This recognition not only validates my research efforts in power electronics and magnetics design but also highlights the importance of industry collaboration in advancing technology. The opportunity to engage with leading manufacturers like Innomotics provides insight into real-world applications of our research, helping to bridge the gap between academia and industry. Peter Hammond’s contributions to power engineering have had a lasting impact on the industry, and to be recognized in connection with his legacy is truly meaningful,” Marzec said. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical and computer engineering from Pitt and is pursuing a doctorate in the field. Marzec’s research interests include the design and optimization of magnetic components for power-dense electronic circuits, low- and medium-voltage power conversion equipment, power electronics for harsh environments and microgrid applications, and grid integration of renewable energy. 

Annually, Marzec presents efforts to the Advanced Magnetics for Power and Energy Development (AMPED) Consortium to drive miniaturization of high-power magnetics through advanced modeling and multi-objective optimization techniques. Such efforts are helping organizations to drive towards high power and high switching frequency ( > 1 MHz) designs that may one day be translated into practice. 

“Training the next generation of advanced electrical engineering talent takes resources beyond just the advisors within the school of engineering to balance the students for practice,” said Brandon Grainger, Eaton faculty fellow, associate professor and Director of the Electric Power Technologies Laboratory. “We are always grateful for the support of regional manufacturers like Innomotics who financially support the local talent and value the engagement through technical interactions. This always inspires and motivates the graduate students with their higher education pursuits.” 

“It’s especially gratifying to award the Peter Hammond Scholarship during the 30th anniversary of the Perfect Harmony drive which revolutionized power conversion,” said Kevin Wissner, Innomotics Director of Research & Development. “This scholarship marks our dedication to nurturing future engineering students and encouraging them to pursue bold ideas that could change the way we live and work tomorrow.” 

Innomotics Perfect Harmony drive, comprising a series of interconnected cells to generate medium voltage power, has been renowned for three decades as the most trusted drive worldwide for its reliability, efficiency and ease of use. This global-leading product is innovated, engineered and manufactured at Innomotics’ New Kensington, Pennsylvania, plant, home to 400 employees.

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