Ira J. Pitel

Ira J. Pitel received the B.S. degree from Rutgers The State University of New Jersey, the M.S. degree from Bucknell University, and the Ph.D. Degree from Carnegie-Mellon University. From 1973 to 1976, he worked for GTE Sylvania researching high-frequency ballasting techniques for gaseous discharge lighting. He joined Bell Laboratories in 1978 and Exxon Enterprises in 1979. At Exxon, he was involved in high-power converter structures for ac motor drives and controlled lighting. In 1981, he founded Magna-Power Electronics.

Ira holds 28 patents in the field of power electronics and is co-recipient of the 1995 Society Prize Paper Award of the Industry Applications Society. He was honored as the Rutgers Outstanding Engineering Alumnus in 2000. He received the 2008 Gerald Kliman Innovator Award. He is a Fellow of the IEEE and has served in many IEEE capacities including Society President of the Industry Applications Society. He is a member of the Eta Kappa Nu and Tau Beta Pi.