Mehrdad Ehsani has a gift for helping students see electrical engineering as a living art, rather than as a collection of calculations, rules and equations. He established the first motor drive and power electronics program in Texas at Texas A&M University in 1981. The program now enrolls more than 100 undergraduate students annually. The co-author of four books, including the IEEE Guide for Self-Commutated Converters, Dr. Ehsani is a professor of electrical engineering and director of the Advanced Vehicle Systems Research Program at Texas A&M. An IEEE and Dow Chemical Faculty Fellow, his honors include the Halliburton Professorship and Dresser Industries Professorship. Dr. Ehsani has served the IEEE in many capacities, including as chair of the IEEE Power Electronics Educational Affairs Committee. He is a registered Professional Engineer in Texas.