Power System Automation Laboratory

Directors

B. Don Russell

  • Distinguished Professor, Electrical & Computer Engineering
  • Regents Professor
  • Member, National Academy of Engineering
  • Harry E Bovay Endowed Chair Professor
  • Research Profile

 

 

 

 

Professor B. Don Russell has spent over 40 years researching electric power system automation, control, protection, and real-time diagnostics, with a focus on electric energy delivery. He earned his BS and ME in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M University and his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Oklahoma. His primary area of application is in continuous health monitoring and failure diagnostics in electric distribution systems. Prof. Russell holds 15 U.S. patents and is a recipient of the Halperin Transmission and Distribution Award of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the former president of the International Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers Power and Energy Society. His research interests include Power System Protection, Control and Automation of Power Systems, Power Systems Diagnostics and Waveform Analytics and Forensic Engineering.

 

Karen L. Butler-Purry

  • Professor – Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Raytheon Company Professor
  • Associate Provost for Graduate and Professional Studies Emerita
  • PI and Executive Director, TAMUS LSAMP Program

Karen Butler-Purry is a professor of electrical and computer engineering and was the Associate Provost for Graduate Studies. She was Assistant Dean for Graduate Programs in the College of Engineering from 2001-2004 and Associate Department Head in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department from 2008-2010. She received her B.S. (summa cum laude) in Electrical Engineering in 1985 from Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She was awarded her M.S. degree in 1987 from the University of Texas at Austin and her Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering in 1994 from Howard University in Washington, D.C. During her more than 20 years at Texas A&M University, Karen has served at all faculty levels, beginning with an initial appointment as visiting assistant professor of electrical engineering in 1994.

She has received numerous awards in including the 2025 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring for efforts to mentor students from underrepresented groups and for leadership in promoting PhD careers for them in electrical engineering and computer sciences. Her research interests are in the areas of computer and intelligent systems application to power distribution systems, distribution automation and management, fault diagnosis, estimation of remaining life of transformers, intelligent reconfiguration, system modeling and simulation for hybrid vehicles, and cyber-physical system security.