Purdue University

Four plenary sessions and technical panels address solid-state transformer (SST) topologies and system architectures; power devices, including SiC, GaN, high-voltage IGBTs, and medium-voltage protection; high-frequency magnetics, packaging, and thermal management; fusion as a potential power source for data centers; SST control, protection, reliability, cybersecurity, and grid services; and grid-interactive data centers, energy storage, onsite generation, and flexible AI loads. The program also includes poster sessions and awards. Panel topics include grid interconnection, microgrids, demand response, renewable integration, battery and long-duration storage, workload flexibility, waste-heat recovery, and coordination between data centers and utilities. Plenary speakers include Dr. Patrick Chapman, Vice President of Enphase Energy and a National Academy of Engineering member, and Dr. Le Xie, Gordon McKay Professor at Harvard University.

The technical symposia span ceramic and glass science, engineering, processing, and applications. Topics include ceramic interfaces and grain boundaries; oxide quantum materials; superconductivity, magnetism, and correlated phases; functional ceramics; extreme-environment and microelectronics materials; two-dimensional materials; high-entropy materials; bioceramics; glass surfaces and the glassy state; and computational modeling, data science, and AI/ML for materials discovery and manufacturing. Energy-related subjects include materials for energy storage and conversion, nuclear energy applications, protonic ceramic cells, and materials for a sustainable and resilient energy future. Manufacturing topics include advanced ceramic processing, additive manufacturing, glass manufacturing scale-up, and intelligent manufacturing. The additive-manufacturing symposium covers feedstock design, printing and post-processing, modeling, characterization, process-structure-property relationships, qualification, certification, scale-up, cost, reliability, and industrial implementation. The raw-materials symposium addresses material quality and variability, alternative and recycled feedstocks, sustainable sourcing, circularity, supply-chain resilience, resource security, and decarbonization.

The public-facing program combines plenary presentations, industry, academia, and technology-sector panels, and Purdue-led research posters and lightning talks. Themes include grid planning and operations amid rapid load growth; AI for grid performance and grid studies; flexibility across large loads, transmission systems, distribution networks, and distributed energy resources; and grid investments, interconnections, and transmission improvements. Panels address grid operations with large loads, flexibility as a grid resource, grid planning with large loads, and AI for grid operations. The members-only program includes an advisory board meeting and a concurrent student career event. The advisory board reviews 2026 project reports, considers Purdue faculty proposals for 2027 research, and deliberates on proposed research activities for industry-member voting. The career event gives Purdue students an opportunity to explore energy-sector engineering careers and discuss internships and employment with industry representatives.