Earned his bachelor’s degree in EE from R.V. College of Engineering in Bangalore, India, and a M.S. in Electrical Engineering – Power Systems from Michigan Technological University. He holds graduate diplomas in ‘Astronomy and Astrophysics’ and in Hybrid Electric Vehicle Engineering. He has worked on hybrid automotive engineering projects with Volvo, General Motors, and the U.S. Department of Energy.  In addition to being the office lead and Program Manager for Florida, in his role as a high voltage protection engineer with Commonwealth Associates, Inc., Praveen has worked extensively on system protection, with a special focus on transmission grid and substation protection for major utilities.  His interests include renewable energy interconnections, smart grid, economic analysis, and market research. He has been a student member and now an active member of IEEE for the past 12 years. He is currently serving as the Chair for the IEEE- Young Professionals Affinity Group for Region 4 and has been in an IEEE leadership role since 2012. He is also a member of the Energy Policy Committee of IEEE-USA and this committee’s efforts are directed towards energy-related activities of the legislative and executive branches at all levels of the U.S. government.