Isik C Kizilyalli

Bio

Dr. Isik C. Kizilyalli currently serves as the Senior Director of Technology (R&D) Sustainability Accelerator within the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability.

Prior to joining the Accelerator, he was the Associate Director for Technology at the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E). In this role, Dr. Kizilyalli oversaw all technology issues relating to ARPA-E’s programs, program development, Program Director and Fellow recruitment, and coordinating project management across the Agency. As an ARPA-E Program Director his focus at ARPA-E included power electronics, semiconductor devices, electrification of transportation (aviation, ships, automotive, space) and associated infrastructure, enhanced geothermal systems, subsurface instrumentation and drilling, electric distribution and transmission grids, and grid technologies and resiliency against aging, EMP, space weather, natural disaster, and cyber threats.

Before joining ARPA-E, Kizilyalli served as founder and CEO/CTO of Avogy Inc. and Zolt Inc., venture backed start-ups focused on power electronics. At the 2015 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Zolt Inc. was a CES Best of Innovation Awards Honoree, Best Startup CES finalist (by Engadget), a Top Tech of CES nominee (by Digital Trends), and a Top Pick CES (by Laptop Magazine). Previously, he was with AT&T Bell Laboratories and its spinouts for nearly 17 years, followed by Nitronex Corporation, and solar PV startup Alta Devices where his team holds the world record for single junction solar cell conversion efficiency.

Kizilyalli was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in 2007 for his contributions to "Integrated Circuit Technology". He also received the Bell Laboratories’ Distinguished Member of Technical Staff award and the Best Paper Award at the International Symposium on Power Semiconductors and Integrated Circuits (ISPSD) in 2013. Kizilyalli holds his B.S. in Electrical Engineering, M.S. in Metallurgy, and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering all from the University of Illinois (Urbana). He has published a Springer-Nature book titled "Direct Current Fault Protection", more than 100 papers, and holds 127 issued U.S. patents.