Mahmoud Kabalan

Dr. Mahmoud Kabalan is an Assistant Professor and the Director of the Center for Microgrid Research at the University of St. Thomas. Dr. Kabalan is passionate about using renewable energy sources as a means for a sustainable and just future. Prior to joining St. Thomas, Dr. Kabalan was a visiting assistant professor at Villanova University, Pennsylvania. His research interest is microgrids which are exciting concepts combining renewable energy sources, power electronics, and electric power systems.

Dr. Kabalan won a $5.4 Million/5 Year award to expand and staff the UST Center for Microgrid Research. Dr. Kabalan founded the Center in 2019 and is serving as its director. This award is one of the largest in UST’s history which is a primarily undergraduate teaching institution. Between 2019 and 2021, Dr. Kabalan commissioned a $3M industry-grade microgrid at UST by leading a team of 12 students, 7 Professional engineers, and more than 35 industry professionals. Dr. Kabalan has served as a subject matter expert on multiple state and federal committees such as NSF, DOE, and MN PUC.

Dr. Kabalan has been the recipient of multiple awards including the 2019 IEEE Power and Energy Society Outstanding Engineer Award – Twin cities , 2020 IEEE PES Working Group Recognition Award – Technical Report, 2020 IEEE Power System Dynamic Performance Committee Working Group/Task Force Award, and the 2016 IEEE Philadelphia Young Electrical Engineer of the Year Award (award emphasizes creative, important, and widely recognized work in addition to the awardee's contribution to professional, civic, and charitable affairs).

Dr. Kabalan has authored and co-authored more than 30 journal and conference papers with 18 student (7 Undergraduate, 9 masters and 1 PhD). He was awarded the 3rd prize in the paper competition at the 2015 IEEE International Humanitarian Technology Conference in Ottawa, Canada.

Dr. Kabalan co-founded LitingPower, a social enterprise that aimed to electrify rural communities in the Philippines in 2012. During that time, he was the project manager and chief engineer of the company in the Philippines. In 2013, he was invited to join the honor society of Phi Kappa Phi.

Dr. Kabalan holds a PhD degree in Engineering and was presented with the College of Engineering Outstanding Doctoral Student Award from Villanova University. The award is granted to a graduating Ph.D. student who has achieved distinction through outstanding graduate academics and research, and through exemplary leadership and service to Villanova University and the College of Engineering. He also holds a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering from Villanova University along with an Engineer Diploma from the Lebanese University in Beirut, Lebanon. In addition, Mahmoud holds Graduate Certificates in Sustainable Engineering and in Teaching Engineering in Higher Education from Villanova University. Dr. Kabalan is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Minnesota License # 59167

Education

• PhD in Engineering, Villanova University, 2016
• MS in Electrical Engineering, Villanova University, 2011
• Engineer Diploma, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Lebanese University, 2009

Expertise

Microgrids, Power Systems, Distributed Energy Resources, Power Electronics

Publications

M Farrokhabadi, CA Cañizares, JW Simpson-Porco, E Nasr, L Fan"Microgrid stability definitions, analysis, and examples", IEEE Transactions on Power Systems 35 (1), 13-29, 2019.

M Kabalan, P Singh, D Niebur"A design and optimization tool for inverter-based microgrids using large-signal nonlinear analysis", IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid 10 (4), 4566-4576, 2018.

M Kabalan, P Singh, D Niebur"Nonlinear Lyapunov stability analysis of seven models of a DC/AC droop controlled inverter connected to an infinite bus", IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid 10 (1), 772-781, 2017.

M Kabalan, P Singh, D Niebur"Large signal Lyapunov-based stability studies in microgrids: A review", IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid 8 (5), 2287-2295, 2016.