CV
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Education
- Ph.D in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A&M University, 2026 (expected)
- B.Tech. in Electrical Engineering, University of Mumbai, 2018
Work experience
- August 2021-present: Graduate Research Assistant
- Upgraded an existing 2016 synthetic grid to model the predicted load and renewable generation for the year 2030 for ARPA-E’s GO Competition.
- Identified the impact of real-world power grid areas on Area Sparsity and implemented them in synthetic grids for transmission line planning.
- Performed transient studies on large-scale grids (WECC, EI & ERCOT synthetic cases) to understand the behavior of modes.
- Summer 2023: Power System Engineer, Intern, Electric Power Engineers, LLC
- Developed a tool using PSS/E and TARA python APIs to determine study area for generator interconnection studies that are based on network connectivity and sensitivity.
- Consolidated Generic Transmission Constraints (GTCs) information released by ERCOT for engineer use.
- July 2018-May 2021: Technical Professional, Siemens Ltd. India
- Collaborated with respective departments and managed timelines at different stages of switchboard manufacturing.
- Reported technical specifications between cross-functional teams: sales, manufacturing, procurement, testing & commissioning, and the customer (domestic and international).
Publications
S. Kunkolienkar, T.J. Overbye, G. Cabrera, H. Li, "Study Area Selection Tool to Enhance System Impact Analysis of Generator Interconnections", 2025 IEEE Texas Power and Energy Conference (TPEC), College Station, TX, February 2025.
Kunkolienkar, Sanjana, Jordan Cook, and Thomas J. Overbye. "Visualizing Volt-Var Distributions in Large-Scale Electric Grid Models." (2024).
Overbye, Thomas, Sanjana Kunkolienkar, Farnaz Safdarian, and Adam Birchfield. "On the Existence of Dominant Inter-Area Oscillation Modes in the North American Eastern Interconnect Stability Simulations." (2024).
Kunkolienkar, Sanjana, Nikola Slavchev, Farnaz Safdarian, and Thomas Overbye. "Developing a Dashboard to Enhance Visualization of Similar Historical Weather Patterns and Renewable Energy Generation."
Kunkolienkar, Sanjana, Farnaz Safdarian, Jonathan Snodgrass, Adam Birchfield, and Thomas Overbye. "A Description of the Texas A&M University Electric Grid Test Case Repository for Power System Studies." (2024).
Ekeruche, Esu, Sanjana Kunkolienkar, Jonathan Snodgrass, and Tom Overbye. "Undergraduate Research on Improving Power Grid Planning Models."
Kunkolienkar, Sanjana, Farnaz Safdarian, Jonathan Snodgrass, and Thomas Overbye. "Quantification of Area Sparsity in Large-Scale Electric Grids." (2023).
Fru, Felix Azenwi, et. al "Pedagogical Application of Visualization and Eye Tracking For Electrical Grid Management." Training, Education, and Learning Sciences 109, no. 109 (2023).
Overbye, Thomas J., and Sanjana Kunkolienkar. "On the Existence of Distinct Inter-Area Electro-Mechanical Modes in North American Electric Grids." (2023).
Sanjana Kunkolienkar, Farnaz Safdarian, Jonathan Snodgrass, and Thomas J. Overbye. "Creating Active and Reactive Power Reserve Zones for Large-Scale Electric Grids." (2023).
Trinh, W. (2022). "On the Sensitivity of Ring-Down Observed Inter-Area Modes in Large-Scale Electric Grids Using a Simulation Approach" 2022 IEEE Power and Energy Conference at Illinois (PECI). 1(2).
Snodgrass, J. (2022). "Case Study of Enhancing the Matpower Polish Electric Grid" 2022 IEEE Texas Power and Energy Conference (TPEC). 1(1).
Talks
March 01, 2014
Conference proceedings talk at Testing Institute of America 2014 Annual Conference, Los Angeles, CA
February 01, 2014
Talk at London School of Testing, London, UK
March 01, 2013
Tutorial at UC-Berkeley Institute for Testing Science, Berkeley CA, USA
March 01, 2012
Talk at UC San Francisco, Department of Testing, San Francisco, California
Teaching
Honors and Awards
- Thomas W. Powell’62 and Powell Industries Inc. Fellowship, 2024-2025.
- Thomas W. Powell’62 and Powell Industries Inc. Fellowship, 2023-2024.
- Thomas W. Powell’62 and Powell Industries Inc. Fellowship, 2022-2023.
- Best Intern Presentation on “Improving for Tomorrow” Scholarship, Electrical Power Engineers, 2023.
- Graduate Research Assistantship, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A&M University, 2021-Present.
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Scholarship, Texas A&M University, 2021.
Service and Leadership
- Chair for Women in IEEE Org, 2024-current.
- Logistics Executive for Grad Camp, Graduate and Professional Student Government, 2024.
- Co-director of the Texas Power and Energy Conference, 2024.
- Logistics Chair of the Texas Power and Energy Conference, 2023.
- Technical Chair of the Texas Power and Energy Conference, 2022.
- Vice President of the Editorial team in the Indian Graduate Student Association, 2021-2023.
- Presenter for the social awareness program ‘Nurturing Intelligence in Curious Engineers,’ Institution of Engineering Technology, 2017.
Professional Membership and Activities
- IEEE, Graduate Student Member, January 2021 – Present
- IEEE Power and Energy Society, Graduate Student Member, January 2021 - Present
- IEEE Young Professionals, Graduate Student Member, January 2021 - Present
- IEEE Women in Engineering, Graduate Student Member, January 2021 – Present
- IEEE PES-IAS-PELS TAMU Joint Student Chapter, General Officer, August 2022 - Present
