Iowa State University


Inside Iowa State
Feb. 23, 1996

Fouad to national academy

by Skip Derra

Abdel-Aziz Fouad, distinguished professor of electrical and computer engineering, has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering, one of the highest professional distinctions accorded an engineer.

Fouad was cited "for contributions to the analysis of the dynamics, stability and control of electric power systems." His work helps utility companies prevent large-scale electrical blackouts.

Fouad will be honored at a reception hosted by the College of Engineering from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 26, in the Memorial Union Gallery. The ISU community is invited.

Joining Fouad this year as new inductees are Bill Gates, founder and chief executive officer of Microsoft Corp.; Paul Allaire, chairman and CEO of Xerox Corp.; and Joel Engel, vice president of technology and chief technology officer at Ameritech. The total number of U.S. members now in the academy is 1,841.

"This is the greatest honor a person in my position can get," Fouad said. "I am honored for myself and for Iowa State."

Fouad is an expert in power system stability and control. He has done significant research in analyzing the dynamics of large electrical systems. Electrical and power systems in the United States are connected in a massive interlocking grid. If problems arise in one part of the grid -- as in a power outage or surge -- it can affect other systems, eventually leading to large-scale power blackouts. Fouad led a team of faculty and students that devised methods of on-line, real- time analysis of electrical power systems. The methods are being further developed and installed in the U.S. electric grid.

Fouad is Iowa State's third NAE member. John Cleasby, a retired distinguished professor of civil and construction engineering, was elected in 1983. Don Thompson, director of the Center for Nondestructive Evaluation and acting director of the Center for Aviation Systems Reliability, was elected in 1991.

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