Speakers

Dr. Rajit Gadh is a Professor at UCLA’s Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, where he also is the founding director of the UCLA Smart Grid Energy Research Center (SMERC) and the Connected Autonomous Electric Vehicle (CAEV) Consortium. Dr. Gadh holds a Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University, a Master’s degree from Cornell University, and a Bachelor’s degree from IIT Kanpur, all in engineering. He has taught as a visiting researcher at UC Berkeley, has been an Assistant, Associate and Full Professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison, and was a visiting researcher at Stanford University.  His research centers on the future of Artificial Intelligence based Machine Learning, electric vehicles and their charging infrastructure,  smart electric grids, vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology, microgrids, and energy storage.

In his role at SMERC, Dr. Gadh leads pioneering research and development efforts to advance electric vehicle integration, demand management, and the deployment of renewable energy within grid systems. His team developed the WINSmartEV™ and WINSmartGrid™ platforms, facilitating electric vehicle-to-grid communication and enhancing grid reliability. Under Dr. Gadh’s leadership, SMERC has attracted significant funding from the Department of Energy and the California Energy Commission, among other entities, to spearhead large-scale smart grid demonstrations and projects focused on sustainable energy. This work is reinforced through partnerships with industry and government agencies, supporting SMERC’s goal of creating technology-driven solutions for a resilient and efficient energy ecosystem.

Dr. Gadh is also a co-founder of MOEV, an AI startup focused on electric vehicle (EV) fleet management. Through MOEV, he leverages his expertise in smart grids and electric mobility to develop AI-driven software that optimizes EV charging, minimizes costs, and maximizes energy efficiency. A Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and a recipient of multiple awards, including the NSF CAREER Award and the William Mong Fellowship, Dr. Gadh has published over 200 articles and holds several patents. His global engagement and contributions to academia and industry highlight his commitment to driving innovation in clean energy and EV technology.