Mostafa SAHRAEI-ARDAKANI

ELECTRICAL ENGINEER

Projects: Microgrid Kayenta, A Resilient Broadband Solution for Kayenta Chapter of the Navajo Nation

Mostafa was born and raised in Tehran, Iran, where he spent a lot of time in the mountains. During hiking and camping in the sublime Alborz mountains, he developed an appreciation for the nature and people’s relationship to land, water, and energy. At college in Tehran, he studied electrical engineering with a focus on electric power systems. Mostafa moved to the US to attend graduate school and received his PhD in Energy Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University. At Penn State, he worked on energy policy problems related the power grid and promotion of energy efficiency.

Currently, Mostafa is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Utah. His research interests include power systems optimization, energy economics and policy, renewable energy systems, and interdependent infrastructure networks. He is a recipient of the 2022 National Science Foundation CAREER award. Mostafa has been involved with Nááts'íilid initiative since 2019 and has worked to develop clean energy, water, and communication projects in Dinétah, to provide Diné people with reliable access to these basic services. When not working, Mostafa enjoys spending time in the beautiful mountains and canyons of Utah, gardening, and cooking.