Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH)
ETH Zurich
Dr. Johann W. Kolar received his M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees (summa cum laude) from the University of Technology Vienna, Austria. After spending 15 years as an international consultant and independent researcher, he was appointed Associate Professor and Head of the Power Electronic Systems Laboratory at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich in 2001 and was promoted to Full Professor in 2004.
Over the course of his career, he has proposed numerous novel converter concepts, including the Vienna Rectifier, spearheaded the development of x-million-rpm motors, and pioneered fully automated, multi-objective power electronics design procedures. He has personally supervised 94 Ph.D. students to completion, has extensively published in IEEE Transactions, is named as inventor on numerous granted patents, and has received several prestigious awards, including the 2025 IEEE Medal in Power Engineering.
As Professor Emeritus (since August 2024), he actively continues to pursue research in ultra-compact and highly efficient wide-bandgap (WBG) converter systems, AI and machine learning applications in power electronics, solid-state transformers, and the life cycle analysis of power electronic converter systems. He is an International Member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering (NAE), a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), and an IEEE Life Fellow.
S13 - Bidirectional Switches: Everything You Need to Know to Apply Them in Your Future Products
Monday, March 23, 2026
8:30 AM - 12:00 PM CT