Maher Azzouz

Dr. Maher Azzouz is the Director of the Smart Grid Laboratory at the University of Windsor, specializing in protection, resilience, and cybersecurity of power grids amid the growing integration of inverter-based resources and distributed grid-edge devices. His research also spans the planning, operation, and energy management of modern power systems, incorporating renewables, energy storage, and large-scale flexible loads such as EV charging stations and AI-driven data centers.

Dr. Azzouz is a Registered Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) in the Province of Ontario, Canada, and a Senior Member of IEEE. He has served as an Editor for the Canadian Journal of Electrical and Computer Engineering and has been recognized as one of the best reviewers of the IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid. His honors include the Best Paper Award from the Journal of Modern Power Systems and Clean Energy (2024) and the Award of Excellence in Scholarship, Research, and Creative Activity (2021).

Research Interests

• Protection, resilience, and cybersecurity of modern power systems, addressing emerging challenges introduced by inverter-based resources and distributed grid-edge devices
• Planning, operation, and energy management of modern power systems (e.g., hybrid AC/DC microgrids), integrating renewables, energy storage, and evolving large-scale flexible loads (e.g., charging stations and AI-driven data centers)
• Modeling, analysis, and control of power electronic converters for grid integration and stability in modern, inverter-dominated power systems with high penetration of renewables, energy storage, and electrified transportation

Professional Affiliations

• Professional Engineer, Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO)
• Senior Member, Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
• Member, IEEE Power and Energy Society (PES)

Awards

• Best Paper Award, Journal of Modern Power Systems and Clean Energy, 2024
• Medal of Excellence in Research (Early Career Faculty), 2021
• Award of Excellence in Scholarship, Research, and Creative Activity, 2021
• Best Reviewer Award, IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid, 2017–2019

Selected Publications

• Abdallah Aboelnaga, Maher A. Azzouz, “Unified Directional Element for Transmission Networks Considering Various Controllers of Inverter-Based Resources,” Protection and Control of Modern Power Systems, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 126 – 143, Mar. 2026.
• Mahdi Ghotbi-Maleki, Reza Mohammadi, Mahyar Abasi, Maher A. Azzouz, “Coordination of Directional Overcurrent Relays in Transient Topologies Induced by Faster Operation of Remote-Side Circuit Breakers,” IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery, vol. 41, no. 2, pp. 875 – 886, April 2026.
• Ahmed Saber, Maher A Azzouz, Kohei Higashikawa, Ahmed Abu-Siada, SM Muyeen, “A Unified Directional Protection Element for Converter-Based Islanded Hybrid Microgrid,” IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid, vol. 16, no. 4, pp. 2803 – 2815, July 2025.
• Mahdi Ghotbi-Maleki, Maher Azzouz, Majid Sanaye-Pasand “Resilience Enhancement of Adaptive Overcurrent Protection for Active Distribution Networks Against Relay-Setting Cyber-Attacks,” IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics, vol. 21, no. 11, pp. 9034 – 9044, Aug. 2025.
• Mahdi Emadaleslami, Maher Azzouz, Arash Moradzadeh, “Differential Fault Diagnosis in Power Transformers under Limited Data Condition via Few-Shot Learning,” IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics, vol. 21, no. 11, pp. 8727 – 8738, Nov. 2025.
• Pola, Maher Azzouz, M. Mirhassani, “Synchronverters with Fault Ride-Through Capabilities for Reliable Microgrid Protection during Balanced and Unbalanced Faults,” IEEE Trans. on Sustainable Energy, vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 1663 – 1676, July 2024.
• Sati, Maher Azzouz, M. Shaaban, “Optimal Protection Coordination of Islanded Microgrids Utilizing an Adaptive Virtual Impedance Fault Current Limiter,” IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications, vol. 59, no. 3, pp. 2866 – 2876, 2023.
• Saeed Santi, Maher Azzouz, Ahmed Awad, “Adaptive Auto Reclosing and Active Fault Detection of Lines Emanating from Wind Farms in Microgrids,” IEEE Transactions on Energy Conversion, accepted, Aug. 2023.
• Abdallah Aboelnaga, Maher Azzouz, “Adaptive Current-Angle-Based Phase Selection for Microgrids with Inverter-Interfaced Renewable Energy Sources,” IEEE Trans. on Smart Grid, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 417-428, 2022.
• Ali, M. Shaaban, A. Awad, Maher Azzouz, M. Lehtonen, K. Mahmoud, “Multi-Objective Allocation of EV Charging Stations and RESs in Distribution Systems Considering Advanced Control Schemes,” IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology, vol. 72, no. 3, pp. 3146 – 3160, 2022.
• Haytham Ahmed, Hatem Sindi, Maher Azzouz, Ahmed Awad, “An Energy Trading Framework for Interconnected AC-DC Hybrid Smart Microgrids,” IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid, vol. 14, no. 2, pp. 853 – 865, 2022.
• Banaiemoqadam, A. Hooshyar, Maher Azzouz, “A Control-Based Solution for Distance Protection of Lines Connected to Converter-Interfaced Sources,” IEEE Trans. on Power Delivery, vol. 35, no. 3, pp. 1455-1466, 2020.
• Amr I. Hamad, Maher Azzouz, and Ehab El-Saadany, “A Sequential Power Flow Algorithm for Islanded Hybrid AC/DC Microgrids”, IEEE Trans. on Power Syst., vol. 31, no. 5, pp. 3961-3970, 2016.
• Hooshyar, Maher Azzouz, E. El-Saadany, “Distance Protection of Lines Emanating from Full-Scale Converter-Interfaced Renewable Energy Power Plants―Part I: Problem Statement,” IEEE Trans. on Power Delivery, vol. 30, no. 4, pp. 1770-1780, Aug. 2015.