ECE doctoral student earns university Presidential Graduate Fellowship

Josue Campos do Prado, a doctoral student in electrical and computer engineering, is one of six University of Nebraska graduate students chosen to receive the prestigious 2019-20 Presidential Graduate Fellowships.

Susan Fritz, University of Nebraska interim president, announced the recipients, who were chosen on the basis of high academic performance and personal accomplishment. Fellows receive an annual stipend through the University of Nebraska Foundation that allows them to pursue their studies full-time.

“Our Presidential Graduate Fellows are among the best students at the University of Nebraska,” Fritz said. “They are accomplished scholars, inspiring mentors and outstanding representatives of their campuses – exactly the kind of young people who will lead our state forward. We are grateful for the private support that allows these talented students to devote themselves fully to their studies.”

Prado, from Joinville, Brazil, is interested in sustainable energy and has worked on renewable energy projects in his home country.

In the College of Engineering, he is working toward developing sustainable energy solutions that have the potential to improve the reliability, resilience and flexibility of the energy industry. He is part of the Power and Energy Systems Laboratory, which is directed by Wei Qiao, professor of electrical and computer engineering, and Liyan Qu, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering.

Prado participated in Brazil’s Science without Borders program, designed to, among other things, impact the future of sustainable energy in Brazil, and is currently conducting collaborative research with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). He has been recognized for his academic work and was recently awarded a research grant from the American Public Power Association to study combined solar and wind energy bidding in electricity markets in partnership with Lincoln Electric System.