Faculty and Staff
A hallmark of electrical engineering faculty is their commitment to undergraduate education. Our professors readily make themselves available to assist students. Where appropriate, our faculty is augmented by experienced professionals in industry serving as adjunct faculty.
Faculty offices are located in the Engineering Mathematics and Computer Science (EMCS) building on the third floor.
Professor Ahmed H. Eltom, P.E.
Dr. Eltom is a Distinguished Teaching Professor of Electrical Engineering. He is an expert in the areas of energy efficient systems, energy conservation, power system protection, advanced motor modeling, and fault analysis.
He has been teaching power system analysis and protection for over 20 years. He developed state of the art industry grade relay laboratory. The laboratory is an educational and research tool for undergraduate and graduate students as well as a training facility for industry engineers. He is the author of Energy Efficient Motors Reference Guide (© 1992, Ahmed H. Eltom). He has published numerous articles in the areas of system protection, motor modeling, and energy conservation.
Dr. Eltom was a Fulbright Scholar to State Qatar, a consultant for the African development bank, Tennessee Valley Authority, and the recipient of the Distinguished Teaching Professorship at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He is a senior member of the IEEE, the former chair of the IEEE PES section in the greater Chattanooga area, and a registered professional engineer in the state of Tennessee.
Associate Professor Michel Holder, P.E.
Dr. Holder received her B.S.E. and M.S.E. degrees in engineering from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 1985 and 1987 respectively and the Ph.D degree in electrical engineering from Vanderbilt University in 1992.
She is currently in her sixteenth year at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga where she is Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering. Prior to entering academia, she worked in computer systems design and programming, and architectural design and construction. Her fields of interest include the capture and processing of very small electrical signals, the application of microprocessors to industrial control, and recycling technology. From 1978 to 1983, she worked as plant manager and engineer at a facility where fire logs were produced from recycled hardwood waste, using a process she invented and patented.
Dr. Holder has been a licensed electrician since 1975 and holds three patents.
Assistant Professor Abdul R. Ofoli, P.E. 
Dr. Ofoli received his B.Sc. degree in electrical and electronic engineering from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana, in 1999, and the M.Eng. degree and Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from Howard University, Washington, DC, in 2002 and 2006, respectively.
During his graduate studies at Howard University, he developed and implemented real-time control algorithms for industrial applications using advance digital control, adaptive control techniques and intelligent control for alternative energy systems, drives, automation and power networks. To show the applicability of these controls to the industrial world, he focused on hardware implementation of most of these control techniques using industrial standard rapid prototyping tools like dSPACE systems utilizing Matlab/Simulink software from Mathworks. He was the recipient of the 2006 IEEE/IAS Transaction Second Prize Paper Award.
Prior to joining the UTC in August 2010, Dr Ofoli has been working with Cummins, Inc., at their headquarters in Columbus, IN, as a senior controls engineer for four years. At Cummins, he developed and implemented real-time control algorithms and strategies for diesel automotive applications to meet specific control objectives with the major one being the 2010 EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) emission standard for diesel engines. His developed software for emission controls are currently being used on 2010 Cummins Diesel engines and three patents have been filled in regard to that.
Assistant Professor Nur Sisworahardjo
Dr. Sisworahardjo received his bachelor, master, and doctorate degrees all in Electrical Engineering. Before moving to the United States to pursue his graduate degrees, he was a Junior Researcher and worked in various research projects funded by the state electricity company of Indonesia in the field of load forecasting, application of geographic information systems (GIS) for power distribution systems, the effect of electric and magnetic fields from HV/EHV transmission lines to human health, and power system expansion planning by using Wien Automatic System Planning (WASP) package. He is also an instructor for the energy conservation program for commercial buildings and hotels and numerical analysis and computer applications in power systems for electrical engineers.
During graduate studies at Illinois Institute of Technology and the University of Alabama, he was involved in research on computer modeling and simulation of intelligent agents for power electronics building blocks (PEBB), short-term generating unit asset valuation, and application of modern optimization techniques in power systems.
Prior to his appointment as Assistant Professor at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, he was a Research Associate and Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of South Alabama. He conducted a study of reliability of low power direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) system, model development of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), dynamic characteristics evaluation of PEMFC operation, and dynamic characteristics evaluation of low power portable fuel cell. He also taught various undergraduate and graduate courses at the University of South Alabama.
His research interest including smart grid, distributed generation, renewable/alternative energy, power systems operation, optimization, simulation, and planning.
Staff
Administrative Assistant Joy Cruz
Currently Joy Cruz is acting Administrative Assistant of Electrical Engineering Department. She can be reached at (423) 425-2256.
Outreach Coordinator Jim Kurtz
Jim Kurtz is the Department's Outreach Coordinator, tasked with facilitating engagement with industry and local middle and high schools. In his previous career, he managed several efforts, including work on nuclear submarines, nuclear power plants, and transmission systems. At TVA his Protection & Control Design Department was recognized in many countries for progressive techniques and technical leadership. As Director of TVA’s School to Work program, however, Jim dedicated his time, energy, and ideas to helping and interning students from over 30 schools. This program provided opportunities to students while saving TVA millions. In 2008 Jim was awarded the Chattanooga Engineering Club “People to People” award for Unse lfish Devotion to Community Service for his work with students and colleges. He has coordinated the equipment and resources to open three power engineering labs at three area universities. Jim is married with a son and daughter and a graduate of Geneva College with a BS in Project Management.
Adjunct Faculty
Professor Virgil Thomason, P.E.
Dr. Thomason teaches courses in engineering-design with microprocessors, logic design, computer interfacing, electronic design, computer program design, sampled data systems, digital signal processing, networks, and solid state devices. His research background includes design with microprocessors as system components, digital signal processing, voice recognition and synthesis applications, inertial guidance systems and data communications.
Gary Kobet, P.E.
Mr. Kobet is an Operations Engineer for the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in Chattanooga, Tennessee. His responsibilities include performing voltage and generator stability studies for the operating horizon, as well as developing operational tools to monitor reactive reserve within the TVA service area. Previously he worked in TVA’s System Protection department planning relaying schemes for transmission and generation projects, as well as calculating relay set points and performing postfault analysis. He has performed transient studies using EMTP for breaker TRV studies and switching surge overvoltages. Previously he worked as a field engineer and as power quality specialist.
Mr. Kobet earned the B.S.E. (electrical) from the University in Alabama in Huntsville in 1989 and the M.S.E.E. from Mississippi State University in 1996. He is a member of the IEEE Power Engineering Society, CIGRE’, Eta Kappa Nu, Tau Beta Pi, and is a registered professional engineer in the state of Alabama.
Russell W. Patterson, P.E.
Mr. Patterson is a consultant in power system protection and control with 20 years in the industry. Prior to entering full time consulting he was Manager of System Protection & Analysis for the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in Chattanooga, Tennessee. As Manager of System Protection & Analysis he was responsible for setting calculations for all protective relays in the TVA transmission system and at hydro, fossil and nuclear generating plants.
Prior to managing System Protection & Analysis his roles included Manager of the Advanced Power Applications group, Manager of Power Quality, and Specialist in System Protection & Analysis. Russell is a member of the IEEE Power System Relaying Committee (PSRC) where he is chairman of the Line Protection Subcommittee and a member of the Rotating Machinery Subcommittee. Mr. Patterson earned the B.S.E.E. from the Mississippi State University in 1991. Russell is a registered professional engineer in several states (NCEES registered), a Senior Member of IEEE and a member of CIGRE'.
Mr. Patterson's company is Patterson Power Engineers, LLC.
