Director and Staff

Mani Venkatasubramanian

Director
Boeing Distinguished Professor of Electrical Engineering

Mani V. Venkatasubramanian is the Director of Energy Systems Innovation Center, and serves as the Boeing Distinguished Professor in Electrical Engineering. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and is a recipient of a National Science Foundation Young Investigator Award. He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronics engineering from India’s Birla Institute of Technology and Science and M.S. and D.Sc. degrees in Systems Science and Mathematics from Washington University, St. Louis.

Mani’s research expertise is in the area of power system dynamics with an emphasis on stability and control. This includes monitoring and control of oscillations and voltage collapse in power systems and analysis of complex nonlinear behavior in large power system models. Stability monitoring applications developed by his research group have been implemented in several power systems around the world. He holds several patents for real-time stability monitoring in power systems using synchronized wide-area measurements.

He has received more than $11 million in research funding. He has published 120 refereed journal and conference publications, and has coauthored a book on synchrophasor applications. He served as an invited member of the task teams that investigated the 1996 western American blackouts and the 2003 Northeastern blackout.

Jeannine Burke

Jeannine is the Manager of the ESIC and has been with WSU since 2000 – starting at ESIC in 2016 as the Grant Administrator.  The positions she has held during her time at WSU, have given her a well-rounded skill set for all areas of administration with an emphasis on budget and administrative management.  Prior to working at WSU, Jeannine spent 13 years working for Whitman County and within the private sector.  She has also managed her own successful business for over 30 years.  She enjoys the challenges involved in helping the Center continue to grow and succeed – but balances her work life with volunteering for various community events and charities as well as life with her husband on their small farm.

Darlene Miller

Research Administrator
millerdr@wsu.edu
509-335-2308
EME 21

Darlene joined the ESIC team in May 2017 as a pre-award grants administrator.  She has been with WSU for 30+ years working in various research units as well as central administration.  Darlene received her AA in Office Automation in 1985 and BS in Business Management in 2012 from Lewis Clark State College.  She passionately assists faculty and graduate students with preparing budgets and assembling research proposals for submission as well as all aspects of post-award administration.  In addition, Darlene performs all other duties as required that contribute to the growth and success of ESIC.  Outside of the office, she enjoys gardening, biking, hiking, baking, traveling, and spending as much time as possible with her beautiful granddaughter, Octavia.

Linda Howell

Industry Relations Coordinator
Energy Systems Innovation Center (ESIC)
Administration and Communications Coordinator
Advanced Grid Institute (AGI)
509-335-6456
EME 49

Linda has a diverse background in administration, planning, and organization management.  She was an engineering academic advisor for six years before joining ESIC in 2020, and brings with her a strong understanding of the WSU Electrical Engineering program.  Prior to that, Linda was the Executive Director at the Electric League of the Pacific Northwest, working specifically with the electrical industry in the Puget Sound Region. These experiences provide a great background for working with ESIC.

A Cougar to-the-core, she enjoys attending WSU sporting and cultural events. Her hobbies and interests include travel, day-trip adventures, camping, biking, and fishing.  Closer to home, she enjoys cooking, walking, reading, game nights, PBS series, spending time with husband Wesley, and doting on grandchildren.  Linda and Wes have 3 children, 4 grandchildren, and a beagle, Molly.