Maksimovic is a leading figure in power electronics, the technology that ties renewable sources such as photovoltaics and wind turbines to the electric power grid, propels hybrid and electric vehicles, powers a countless variety of electronic systems, and makes it possible to operate battery-powered mobile devices for many hours. His research has been recognized by election as a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and several major awards from the IEEE Power Electronics Society, including the 2023 IEEE William E. Newell Power Electronics Award.
Maksimovic, who joined CU Boulder in 1992, has served as the co-director of the Colorado Power Electronics Center since 1999. He is one of the most highly cited researchers in the field of power electronics, with over 350 publications in key journals with over 43,000 citations. He is a co-author of two widely used power electronics textbooks and holds 44 US patents.
His teaching innovation includes developing new hands-on courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels, including a sophomore-level Electronics Design Laboratory that has become a mainstay of the electrical engineering curriculum. Over the past five years, Maksimovic has contributed substantially to the online Coursera master’s degree in electrical engineering pioneered at CU. This performance-based admissions program is first-of-a-kind, and it has achieved total enrollment of over 100,000 students across the world.
A model of servant leadership, Maksimovic has served on the department’s curriculum, laboratory, graduate studies, and strategic planning committees. At the college level, he has served on the promotion and tenure committee. He serves his profession through the IEEE Power Electronics Society, where he has led major conferences, chaired committees, served on editorial boards of flagship publications, and been selected as a Distinguished Lecturer.
