Abdul Muneeb Earns Best Presentation Award by IEEE

Abdul Muneeb, a PhD student and graduate research assistant in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Stony Brook University, is dedicated to advancing the understanding and implementation of cutting-edge technologies in power systems, with a particular focus on sustainable and efficient energy solutions. He was recently recognized with the Best Presentation Award at the 41st IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference (APEC), recently held in San Antonio, Texas at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center from March 22 to March 26.

Muneeb, whose research interests converge on isolated bidirectional DC-DC converters, magnetics, EMI analysis and the design and testing of power electronics converters, won the award for his paper entitled, "D30.4 - Near-Field Coupling Analysis of Butterfly Layouts in Paralleled GaN Half-Bridges for Aerospace Applications."

This work is important because wide-bandgap power devices enable much faster switching and higher power density than conventional silicon devices, but they also make converter layouts far more sensitive to parasitic inductance, electromagnetic interaction, and high-frequency noise. In practical systems, these effects can directly influence switching behavior, device stress, EMI performance, and overall converter reliability. Addressing these issues is essential for building efficient, lightweight and reliable power converters for aerospace and other high-performance applications.

Muneeb's recent work examines near-field electromagnetic coupling in paralleled GaN half-bridge layouts, where very fast switching transitions, high di/dt and compact PCB routing can create unwanted gate disturbance, parasitic interaction, EMI concerns and reliability challenges. "My paper studies how these layout-dependent effects arise and proposes improved routing and shielding approaches to reduce coupling and make high-frequency converter hardware more robust," he said.

Under the mentorship of Professor Fang Luo, Muneeb works on high step-ratio Dual Active Bridge converters using GaN and SiC devices, focusing on planar transformer design, PCB-integrated magnetics and power and signal integrity in high dv/dt and di/dt environments. "My research emphasizes near-field coupling, parasitic extraction, EMI-aware design and PDN modeling for high-speed power conversion, enabling scalable power delivery for next-generation AI data center infrastructure and high power density aerospace and energy systems," he said.

APEC 2026 focuses on the practical and applied aspects of the power electronics business and is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious conferences in applied power electronics. Muneed said the award is "meaningful because the event brings together an international community of researchers, practicing engineers, and industry leaders. It is known not only for its technical depth, but also for its strong connection to real-world power electronics design, manufacturing, packaging and system-level applications."

The Best Presentation Awards are determined based on scores provided by Session Chairs during the conference, using a range of criteria that evaluate all aspects of the presentation, for both Dialogue and Technical Sessions.

Pamela Abshire, chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering said, "The ECE Department is thrilled that Muneeb received this honor at the world's largest power electronics conference. This award provides timely recognition of the Muneeb's hard work and Professor Luo's research mentorship. It also serves as a testimonial to the enduring leadership and excellence of Stony Brook's power electronics research activities."

"Through this work, I aim to advance compact and reliable power conversion technologies for applications where efficiency, weight, thermal performance and electrical robustness are all critical." said Muneeb.

- Debra Scala Giokas