Wen (Essay) Shu has been promoted to Senior Research Engineer at the National Electric Energy Testing Research and Applications Center (NEETRAC), effective July 1, 2021. NEETRAC is a research center based in the Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) and is located south of Atlanta in Forest Park.

Shu has worked with NEETRAC since 2016. Prior to joining Georgia Tech and NEETRAC, she was an engineering system analyst with UtilX Corporation in Kent, Washington. Shu graduated with her Ph.D. in Materials Science from the University of Connecticut in 2010 and her B.S.E.E. degree and M.S. in High Voltage Engineering from Southwest Jiaotong University (China) in 2003 and 2006, respectively. 

Shu works in several different areas of NEETRAC. She has developed and grown the wood utility pole asset management program in collaboration with 22 of NEETRAC’s utility members. Shu also performs estimates on life expectancy for various power system components such as underground cables, joints/terminations, transmission and distribution equipment, and batteries. She also conducts forensic analysis and design evaluation on power distribution cables and accessories.

Shu has published 20 refereed journal and conference publications and has been issued two patents.  She is a member of the IEEE Power and Energy Society and the IEEE Standards Association and participates in several IEEE committees and working groups.

“Granting promotions to research faculty members are very carefully considered actions, and this is a significant milestone that Essay has worked very hard to reach,” said Magnus Egerstedt, Steve W. Chaddick School Chair and Professor in ECE. “We are very proud of Essay, and we thank her for her contributions to NEETRAC and ECE and to the profession as a whole.”