Students

Ph.D. Students:

• Hongzhen Dan, D-Ph.D. student, Aug 2025 – present
  • Dissertation topic: Distributed and Game Theoretic Control of Smart Communities
• Dongyang Xi, Ph.D. student, Jan 2025 – present
  • Dissertation topic: Modeling and Control of Next Generation Heat Pumps
• Panagiotis Papageorgiou, D-Ph.D. student, Aug 2024 – present (co-advised with Dr. Kevin Kircher at Purdue)
  • Dissertation topic: Smart and Connected Community Control
• Zicheng Wang, Ph.D. student, Aug 2024 – present (co-advised with Dr. Ming Qu at Purdue)
  • Dissertation topic: Data-Driven BMS Semantic Model to Facilitate Automated Analytics
• Chibuoke Eneh, Ph.D. student, Jan 2025 – present
  • Dissertation topic: Load-Based Testing of Heat Pumps
• Philani Hlanze, Ph.D. student at OU, Jan 2021 – present
  • Dissertation topic: Modeling and Control of PCM-Based Energy Storage Integrated in Air Distribution Systems

M.S. Students:

• None

Alumni:

• Chibuoke Eneh, M.S., Jan 2023 – Aug 2024, currently a PhD student at Purdue.
  • Thesis topic: Aging-Aware Control of Motorized Energy Storage
• Mingshi Yao, M.S, Aug 2023 – Aug 2024, currently a PhD student at Rutgers University.
  • Thesis topic: Carbon-Responsive Control of Buildings
• Aly Elhefny, Ph.D., Aug 2019 – May 2024, currently lecturer at Central Community College (co-advised with Dr. Hamidreza Shabgard at OU)
  • Dissertation topic: Modeling and Control of Freeze Desalination Systems
• Jerson Sanchez, M.S., Aug 2021 – Dec 2023, currently research engineer at AAON.
  • Thesis topic: Development and assessment of constrained reinforcement learning-based controller for building demand response
• Zhimin Jiang, Ph.D., Aug 2018 – Jun 2022, currently senior research engineer at Trane Technologies
  • Dissertation topic: Building cluster control to enable grid reliability and efficiency support
• Haopeng Liu, Ph.D., Aug 2018 – Jun 2022, currently postdoc at University of Maryland
  • Dissertation topic: Gray box dynamic modeling of vapor compression systems for control optimization
• Philani Hlanze, M.S., Aug 2018 – Dec 2020, currently a Ph.D. student at OU
  • Thesis topic: Integration of phase change material-based thermal energy storage in air distribution systems to increase building power flexibility