Circuits as Systems: And Their Design

Robert W. Erickson is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Colorado–Boulder. Over his career, he has led innovative research in the power electronics field, setting new standards for efficiency and performance in electric vehicles, as well as in inverters for solar power, wind power, and battery energy storage systems. His work has been recognized through awards including the Institution for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) William E. Newell Award, Life Fellow of the IEEE, the University of Colorado Boulder Inventor of the Year, and others. He was elected to the US National Academy of Engineering in 2026. His textbook Fundamentals of Power Electronics (third edition) has become a foundational resource for engineers and educators worldwide. His dedication to advancing digital education is evident in his leadership in founding and development of the Coursera-based MS-EE program, the first fully-online MS-EE degree program. He has served as ECEE Department Chair three times. He earned the B.S. (1978), M.S. (1980), and Ph.D. (1982) degrees in Electrical Engineering, from the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California.