SPECIAL SESSION FORUM

Empowering Diversity: Career Pathways and Inclusion in Power Engineering

Moderator:

Professor Ir. Dr. Zuhaina Zakaria, IEEE PES Malaysia

Zuhaina Zakaria, a Professor at Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia, also serves as the Dean of Institute of Postgraduate Studies at the university. She has served in IEEE Malaysia Section since 1999 and was the Section Chair from 2015-2016. On July 2007, she founded the IEEE Malaysia-WIE Affinity Group. She is also an active volunteer in IEEE PES Malaysia Chapter and was the Chapter Chair from 2015-2016. On the international stage, Dr. Zuhaina Zakaria has held various roles within IEEE, including Chair of the IEEE Admission and Advancement Committee, overseeing Senior Member Elevation policies. Her remarkable contributions have earned her multiple awards, including the IEEE Malaysia Section Outstanding Volunteer Award in 2010, Honorable Mention for the 2018 WIE Inspiring Member Award, the 2018 IEEE MGA Leadership Award, the 2019 IEEE PES Outstanding Engineer Award, the 2022 IEEE PES Outstanding Volunteer Award, and the 2023 Region 10 Outstanding Award. Currently, Dr Zuhaina is the Member at Large, Diversity and Inclusion in the IEEE PES Governing Board.

Forum Panelists:

Panel 1

Dr. Shay Bahramirad,
IEEE PES President

Dr. Shay Bahramirad, Senior Vice President of T&D, Strategy, and Sustainability at LUMA Energy in Puerto Rico, is a prominent industry leader. She holds the role of President at IEEE Power and Energy Society, serves on the editorial board of the Electricity Journal, is a US CIGRE Executive member, an adjunct professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology, and a founder of IEEE Women in Power. Additionally, she contributes to the United Nations SG7 initiative for Affordable and Clean Energy. With a PhD in electrical engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology, she boasts numerous academic publications and holds multiple US patents. Previously, as Vice President of Climate and Resilience at Quanta Technology, she guided cities and utilities in climate change risk assessments and investment strategies. Earlier, as Vice President of Engineering and Smart Grid at ComEd, she spearheaded efforts to ensure the distribution system’s reliability, resiliency, and sustainability, while fostering a community of the future vision inclusive of STEM education for underrepresented groups, particularly girls. Dr. Shay Bahramirad is also recognized as an expert witness in state and federal regulatory proceedings concerning microgrids, energy storage, investment strategies, and distributed energy resources interconnection.

Panel 2

Dr. Asleena Helmi, Sustainability and Environmental Consultant, Corporate Services, Sarawak Energy Berhad

Dr Asleena Helmi joined Sarawak Energy in May 2023, following her tenure as CEO of the Sarawak Centre of Performance Excellence (SCOPE) since its inception in 2017.
Under her leadership, SCOPE was mandated to design and develop the Graduate Enhancement Training Sarawak (GETS 4.0) programme for five consecutive years which addresses the unemployment issues in Sarawak and provide on-the job training skills to 1,000 graduates per year as interns across both public and private organizations, including Sarawak Energy.
With a Doctorate in Knowledge Management & Innovation Strategies and a background in political science, Asleena has over 20 years of experience as a certified trainer, researcher, and consultant in the areas of technology management and human capital development.
In her current role as Sustainability & Environmental Consultant in Sarawak Energy, Asleena is responsible for advising on policies and ensuring that Sustainability and Environmental agendas align with the organisation’s business strategic objectives. She independently evaluates the effectiveness and implementation of Sustainability and Environmental policies and strategies, providing recommendations to address any gaps or enhance these policies and their execution.

Panel 3

Ir. Dr. Hazrul Mohamed Basri, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS)

Ir. Dr. Hazrul Bin Mohamed Basri is a leading senior lecturer at the Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, where he has been shaping the minds of future engineers since 2010. Awarded the title of Professional Engineer (P.Eng) by the Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM) in the electronics discipline, Dr. Hazrul is highly respected for his innovative contributions to interdisciplinary research and consultancy, with a focus on solar photovoltaics technology, power electronics,  and electrical engineering. Dr. Hazrul’s academic journey began with a Master’s degree from the Université de Technologie de Belfort Montbéliard, France, followed by a doctoral degree in Electrical Engineering from Universiti Malaya. His expertise in renewable energy led him to serve as the Director of the Centre for Renewable Energy (CREN) from 2018 to 2020. Throughout his career, Dr. Hazrul has demonstrated a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion. He served as Programme Coordinator (October 2021 – June 2023), Head of Department (June 2023 – April 2024), and currently, Deputy Dean (Undergraduate) since May 2024. In addition to his academic and professional achievements, Dr. Hazrul actively participates in community outreach programs to inspire young students from various backgrounds to pursue STEM careers. He believes that fostering diversity in engineering starts with engaging with the community and providing equal opportunities for all.