Obtaining a PhD in power systems engineering

My life has been heavily freckled with a sense of adventure and research; a life that seeks to find the meaning of anything and will not stop till it gets to the depth of everything. This, perhaps, was responsible for damaging several electrical appliances when, as a boy, I was trying to discover what made everything that was not made in Nigeria work. It was this desire to discover things and break new grounds that spurred me into pursuing a career in the field I knew would best satisfy my curiosity.

Although I was a top student in high school, I was not always sure about the best career path to take. At that time, physics, basic electronics and mathematics were subjects I enjoyed and maintained distinctions in. During my final year in high school, I designed and constructed a burglar-detector system as a basic electronics project; an electronic speaker was the output device, and it was triggered by a switch which would turn on as soon as a door was opened. The project earned me a distinction, and I was very excited about my success. I knew my career would have to entail my best subjects. After much research about undergraduate courses which required knowledge of physics, mathematics and basic electronics, I chose to study electrical & electronics engineering because I was overawed by its vast applications, and I felt it would be a challenge to study a course with such extensive relevance.

My first year in the university was preliminary; my results were used to decide whether or not I was intellectually capable of coping with the degree requirements; I proved my capacity for success by maintaining good grades. One evening, during my second year in the university, I began reading a book titled Fundamentals of Electric Circui...

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...into an expert power systems researcher. I long for a total comprehension of power systems operation, and I believe that obtaining a PhD in power systems engineering is a first step. Through intensive research, I plan to contribute to the technological advancement of the power systems industry. By working with the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), I plan to use my expertise to facilitate the much needed change in the Nigerian power sector. After studying the research interests and outstanding achievements of professors like: George Gross, Philip T. Krein, Thomas J. Overbye, Peter W. Sauer and Alejandro Dominguez-Garcia, I am certain that, in the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, I can acquire the skill set and technical knowledge necessary to realize my career goals. I hope to both contribute and grow in its research-friendly environment.