Powerhouse professor receives honorary doctorate for contributions to power electronics

For Dushan Boroyevich, power electronics isn’t just a career or area of research, it’s a passion. That passion was recognized by the University of West Bohemia in the Czech Republic, where Boroyevich was awarded with the honorary title of doctor honoris causa.

Passion for power electronics

Boroyevich was born in Zagreb, Croatia, formerly Yugoslavia, and vividly remembers growing up with an interest in physics. His first physics course in the seventh grade coupled with a love of tinkering was the gateway to an eventual career in electrical engineering.

“I was fascinated with physics because with a few simple rules and equations, it was almost like one could predict the future,” said Boroyevich. “I also remember growing up and never playing with toys in the way they were intended to be. Most toys in my house were secretly taken apart by me. After graduating high school, my father encouraged me to combine my love for physics and tinkering by pursuing electrical engineering.”

His passions and curiosity led him to pursue a bachelor’s degree from the University of Belgrade and a master’s degree from the University of Novi Sad. During this time, microprocessors were invented, and Boroyrevich was fascinated with them. That’s when his power electronics career really took off. He later served as an instructor at the University of Novi Sad’s Institute for Power and Electronic Engineering, where he helped establish its electronics program, from 1976-82.

He earned his Ph.D. from Virginia Tech in 1986 and later continued his career at the Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering alongside fellow powerhouse researcher and now University Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Fred C. Lee.

Boroyevich and Lee established the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center for Power Electronics Systems (CPES) in 1998. The center rose to research success quickly and today represents the largest group for research and development in power electronics in the United States.

Collaborating closer to home

While much of his professional career has been at CPES, Boroyevich recognizes the importance that international collaborations have had on the forward momentum of power electronics as well as for him personally.

Since 2010, Boroyevich has served as an expert advisor to the director of the Research and Innovation Center for Electrical Engineering (RICE) at the University of West Bohemia. He has helped the center develop into one of Europe’s largest research groups in the field of power electronics, electrical machines, and electric drives, which control electric motors for different applications.

The intensive collaboration between CPES and RICE has resulted in a partnership that will benefit researchers for generations to come. In recognition of Boroyevich’s dedication to the advancement of power electronics at RICE, the university awarded him with the honorary title.

“For nearly 20 years, Professor Boroyevich has been a driving force behind the growth of RICE,” said Ing. Zdeněk Peroutka, dean of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at University of Bohemia and CEO of RICE. “We are thrilled to recognize him for his contributions as a collaborator and look forward to seeing how our strategic cooperation agreement with CPES drives innovation in the years to come, especially in the field of intelligent power electronics modules.”

Boroyevich said the partnership with RICE benefits both the University of Bohemia and Virginia Tech because of the different capabilities of the two centers.

“This honorary Ph.D. is not just an honor to me, but to Virginia Tech,” said Boroyevich. “It represents a partnership. Students here, and at RICE, are being exposed to expertise in power electronics from a global perspective. If we want to expand ourselves, it means partnering with universities from around the world, and that’s exactly what this exchange with RICE will do.”