Jason Lai inducted into the National Academy of Inventors
Jih-Sheng (Jason) Lai is the James S. Tucker Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Virginia Tech and director of the Future Energy Electronics Center. A globally recognized researcher in power electronics, Lai has spent more than three decades advancing technologies that improve the efficiency of energy conversion systems used in electric vehicles, renewable energy, energy storage, and power infrastructure.
"Jason Lai’s work has had a deep impact through innovations in power electronics,” said Rose Qingyng Hu, department head for the Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. “He is an internationally recognized researcher and inventor, with a legacy of inspiring and educating the next generation of engineers. I’m honored to celebrate Jason’s induction into the National Academy of Inventors as a fellow."
He joined Virginia Tech in 1996 after serving as a senior engineer and manager at the Electric Power Research Institute and as Power Electronics Lead Scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Lai’s research is centered on high-performance power conversion, an area in which he has established an international reputation for achieving exceptionally high efficiency levels. His innovations include high-efficiency converters for fuel cells, electric vehicles, photovoltaic systems, and energy storage technologies.
Over his career, Lai has published more than 500 refereed technical papers, earned more than 30 U.S. patents, and helped develop foundational technologies in multilevel power converters and advanced inverter systems. His scholarly work has been cited tens of thousands of times, and he was elevated to IEEE Fellow for contributions to high-performance, high-power inverters. He also served as a Fulbright Specialist and maintains active international collaborations, including partnerships with National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University in Taiwan.
Select Publications
Evaluation of Short-Pulse Laser Driver using Direct-Drive Normally-on GaN HEMT | March 2026
2026 IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition (APEC)
DOI: 10.1109/APEC51134.2026.11517155
Forward Recovery Aware of Antiparallel Diodes for GaN-Based Synchronous Rectifier Turn-On Delay in MHz-Class LLC | March 2026
2026 IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition (APEC)
DOI: 10.1109/APEC51134.2026.11516940
Decoupled Closed-Loop Control for Regenerative Testing of a 15-kW Bidirectional Synchronous-Rectifier Buck Converter | March 2026
2026 IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition (APEC)
DOI: 10.1109/APEC51134.2026.11516862
Recent Patents
Hybrid modulation controlled dc-to-ac converters | July 2024
This patent covers a more efficient way to control power converters that transform electricity from batteries, solar panels, and other DC energy sources into AC power.
Induction cooking system | April 2024
The patent covers a new control system for induction cooking appliances that allows them to heat cookware more efficiently and accurately.
Hybrid multi-level inverter | May 2024
The patent covers a new inverter design that makes it possible to convert electricity more efficiently and with fewer components.
Power converter | May 2024
The patent covers a power converter design that helps electrical systems operate more cleanly and efficiently by reducing unwanted electrical noise generated during power conversion.