Peer Research Ambassador Riley Beckham

OUR Peer Research Ambassador Riley Beckham '24, Major: Electrical Engineering.Riley (he/him) is a fifth-year student majoring in Electrical Engineering. His research interests include power grid resilience and power system response in the face of extreme climate events. Outside of research and academics, Riley enjoys reading, hiking in the woods, and playing the guitar.

Starting in the summer of 2022, Riley became an undergraduate research assistant at the UConn Eversource Energy Center, working with Dr. Zongjie Wang on a literature review project analyzing contemporary studies on the subject of power grid resilience with respect to high impact, low probability climate disasters. This project inspired him to explore other research opportunities in the field of electrical engineering, and after taking an introductory power systems analysis course with Dr. Wang in Fall 2022, Riley decided to pursue an independent study project alongside two other UConn students under Dr. Wang’s supervision.

Beginning in January 2023, Riley began work with his group in the Sustainable Power Energy Lab, studying how techniques for shifting and deferring electrical load in a distribution system can impact the resilience characteristics of the broader electrical grid. After submitting their work for publication, Riley was chosen by his team to present this research at the 2023 North American Power Symposium in Asheville, North Carolina.

In addition to official research work, Riley has also completed his senior design project alongside 5 other UConn engineering students. While not explicitly a research endeavor, many of the skills and practices were carried over and served Riley and his team well throughout the course of the project.

Riley credits research with reigniting his passion for engineering and believes that all students deserve the opportunity to engage with the incredibly rewarding research opportunities offered at UConn. He is committed to working hard as a PRA to help students discover these opportunities and strive toward their full potential.

Student Research Blog Posts by Riley:

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  • Undergraduate students can submit this form to request a peer advising meeting with PRA Riley.
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