2026 Keynote Speakers
Dr. Carl Ho
University of Manitoba, Canada
Dr. Carl Ho received his B.Eng., M.Eng., and Ph.D. degrees in Electronic Engineering from the City University of Hong Kong. He has held prominent roles in both industry and academia, including serving as a Principal Scientist at ABB Switzerland and as a Canada Research Chair at the University of Manitoba. He is currently a Professor and Associate Head in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Manitoba, and he is a Registered Professional Engineer in the Province of Manitoba. Dr. Ho’s research covers several cutting edge areas, including microgrid technologies, renewable energy systems, real time digital simulation, heavy duty electric vehicles (EVs), and applications of wide bandgap (WBG) power semiconductors.
Speech Title: Development of Wireless Electric Vehicle Chargers
Dr. Gabriel A. Wainer
Carleton University, Canada
Gabriel Wainer, FSCS, is a Professor in the Department of Systems and Computer Engineering at Carleton University. He is the founder of the ARS Lab and a leading researcher in Modeling and Simulation, DEVS formalism, real-time simulation, and digital twins. He has authored hundreds of publications and serves as Editor-in-Chief of SIMULATION and on multiple editorial boards. His awards include the IBM Eclipse Innovation Award, the SCS Leadership Award, IEEE Ottawa Outstanding Engineering Award, and others. He is an ACM Distinguished Speaker and Fellow of SCS.
Speech Title: Digital Quadruplets and Sustainable Smart Energy Systems: A DEVS-based Framework for the Future Grid
Dr. Christine Chen
The University of British Columbia, Canada
Christine Chen is an Associate Professor with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and an Associate Director of the Clean Energy Research Centre at The University of British Columbia. Her research interests include power system modelling, control, and operation. She received the B.A.Sc. degree in engineering science from the University of Toronto in 2009, and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2011 and 2014, respectively. Her work has been recognized with a Best Paper Award from the IEEE Transactions on Energy Conversion in 2018, a “Best of the Best” Prize Conference Paper Award at the IEEE Power and Energy Society General Meeting in 2022, and a Best Paper Award Finalist at the IEEE Innovative Smart Grid Technologies Conference North America in 2024. She also co-authored the 2021 IEEE Power and Energy Society Prize Paper. Christine has served on the editorial boards of the IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, IEEE Transactions on Energy Conversion, and IEEE PES Letters.
Speech Title: Local Electricity Markets with Prosumer Preferences for Community Energy Systems
Dr. Madeleine McPherson
University of Victoria, Canada
Dr. Madeleine McPherson is an Associate Professor in the department of Civil Engineering and the Associate Director of the Institute for Integrated Energy Systems at the University of Victoria. As the principal investigator of the Sustainable Energy Systems Integration & Transitions (SESIT) Group, Dr. McPherson and her team have developed an integrated suite of models to explore the evolution of our energy system. Her team applies those models in collaboration with governments, civil society, Indigenous rights holders, and industry to co-create decarbonization pathways. Dr. McPherson is a co-founder and co-director of the Energy Modelling Hub, which is convening a national dialogue between modelers, policymakers and stakeholders around Canada’s energy system.
Speech Title: M3 Modelling Platform: a Comprehensive Accounting of the Energy System Transition