Birchfield Research Group

Research Group

PhD Students

Jong-oh Baek

  • Graduate Research Assistant
  • Ph.D. student in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Texas A&M University
  • Professional Experience: Research Engineer, LS Cable & System, South Korea, 2021-2022
  • M.S in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Kyungpook National University, South Korea, 2021
  • B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Kyungpook National University, South Korea, 2019
  • Research interests include Power System Modeling, Power System Stability and Dynamics, Integration of Renewables in Power Systems, Synthetic Power Systems.
  • Jongoh’s Google Scholar page: [Scholar Page Link]

Hyojin Cho

  • Graduate Research Assistant
  • Ph.D. student in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Texas A&M University
  • B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Soongsil University, Seoul, South Korea, 2025
  • Research interests: power system modeling, simulation, and analysis.

Owen Cornmesser

  • Ph.D. Student in Electrical Engineering, Texas A&M University
  • M.S. in Electrical Engineering
  • B.S. in Electrical Engineering
  • Research interests include Power system dynamic modeling, controls and dynamics of grids with inverter-based resources.

Luke Lowery

  • PhD Student in Electrical Engineering, Texas A&M University
  • B.S. in Electrical Engineering 2023, Texas A&M University
  • Professional Experience in Electrical distribution and controls integration
  • ECEN Senator for Graduate Student Government
  • Research interests include numerical macromodeling and graph-based signal processing for large power systems.
  • Website Link: https://lukelowry.github.io/

Bart Szymanowski

  • PhD Student in Electrical Engineering, Texas A&M University
  • B.S. in Applied Mathematics, Physics, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2023
  • Industry experience with clean energy, power electronics and electric grid system operation
  • Research interests: Modeling and integration of IBRs, power system analysis

MS Students

Tim Walter

  • M.S. Student in Electrical Engineering, Texas A&M University
  • B.S. in Interdisciplinary Engineering, Texas A&M University, 2026
  • Internship experience in transmission planning and dynamic studies at independent system operators
  • Three years of undergraduate work experience in HVAC analytics software development
  • Research interests include grid resilience to extreme weather, integration of renewable energy, weak grids and grid-forming IBRs, and EMT modeling

Undergraduate Researchers

Jason Zapanta
Wesley Yeung

Former Group Members

Joshua Xia, M.S. 2026
Thesis title: Transmission Expansion Planning with Complex Networks
Prof. Gustavo Cerda Villafaña, Visiting Scholar from University of Guanajuato, Mexico, 2024-2025
Ramon Hinojosa, M.S. 2025
Rida Fatima, M.S. 2023
Thesis title: Geomagnetic Storm and its Impact on Time-dependent Transformer Thermal Response in Large Power Systems
John Penaranda, M.S. 2023
Thesis title: Application and Parameter Sensitivities of a State-space Cold Load Pickup Model for a Synthetic Restoration Test Case
Oluwatoyin Oshinkoya, M.S. 2023
Thesis title: Feasibility Study on the Future Impact of Electric Vehicle Fleets on the Power System Inertia Floor
Yousef Abu-Khalifa, M.S. 2023
Thesis title: A Methodology for Building and Simulating Synthetic Natural Gas Transmission Grids to Analyze the Inter-dependencies Between Natural Gas and Electric Power Systems
Ramyaa Kumar, M.S. 2021
Thesis title: Considerations for Real-Time Data Analysis Using Multiple Magnetometer Sources for GIC Studies to Improve the Situational Awareness of an Electric Grid Model