Several faculty and staff members from UW–Madison’s online engineering graduate programs recently attended the WEMPEC Annual Review, an event that brings together faculty, students, alumni, and industry leaders working at the forefront of electric machines, power electronics, and energy conversion technologies.
As a cornerstone of UW–Madison’s Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering: Power Engineering program, the Wisconsin Electric Machines and Power Electronics Consortium (WEMPEC) plays an important role in connecting academic research with real-world industry applications. The Annual Review provides a unique opportunity to see those connections in action.
Attendees engaged with emerging research, learned from experts across academia and industry, and explored how innovation in power engineering is shaping technologies such as electric transportation, renewable energy systems, advanced manufacturing, and electrification. Experiences like these help ensure that the knowledge and perspectives shared in the classroom remain closely aligned with the challenges and opportunities facing today’s engineering professionals.
For more than four decades, WEMPEC has served as a global hub for education, research, and industry collaboration, helping prepare engineers to take ideas from concept to real-world implementation. The Annual Review continues that tradition by creating space for knowledge sharing, networking, and meaningful conversations about the future of the field.
Dr. Steve Fredette, Academic Director of our Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering: Power Engineering program, reflected on the impact WEMPEC has on the student experience:
“Several of our students are from WEMPEC sponsors. We’ve seen managers who graduated from the program encourage their employees to enroll and now those students are close to graduation themselves. The Annual Review is a great reminder of the value ofbeing part of a consortium with a rich legacy.”
Through WEMPEC, students in the online Power Engineering program benefit from a learning experience informed by leading research, strong industry partnerships, and faculty who remain actively engaged with advancements across the field. These connections help bridge theory and practice, preparing graduates to lead in a rapidly evolving energy and electrification landscape.
To learn more about WEMPEC and its role in our online Power Engineering master’s program, visit our program website.