Alireza Khaligh Named ISR Director

Professional headshot of Alireza Khaligh with short dark hair wearing a navy suit, white dress shirt and dark tie, smiling slightly against a neutral blue-grey background. We’re proud to share that Alireza Khaligh has been appointed the Director of the Institute for Systems Research.

Over the past year, Khaligh has led ISR with focus and purpose, guiding our faculty, students and staff through a period of growth and renewed strategic direction. His time as interim director strengthened our interdisciplinary culture and reinforced ISR’s role as a catalyst for collaborative, systems-driven research.

In addition to his leadership at ISR, Khaligh directs the Maryland Power Electronics Laboratory in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. An internationally recognized expert in power electronics and energy conversion systems, his work supports advances in transportation electrification and next-generation energy conversion technologies for emerging systems. He is a Fellow of IEEE, SAE and IET, serves as the editor-in-chief of IEEE Transactions on Transportation Electrification, and has authored more than 230 journal and conference publications.

Since 1985, ISR has advanced the science and engineering of complex systems. As we deepen the integration of model-based systems approaches with AI and data-driven methods, and expand partnerships across campus, industry and federal agencies, Khaligh’s leadership will help guide our next chapter of impact.

Please join us as we congratulate Alireza Khaligh and continue to build ISR’s future together.

Published February 19, 2026