Resume

Engineer

Location:

Indianapolis, IN

Posted:

December 19, 2013

Contact this candidate

Resume:

Objective

Seeking local full-time, contract, or sponsored travel (anywhere) contract engineering or technology opportunities

Education

Kathleen earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Valparaiso University. She then earned her Master of Electrical and Computer Engineering (MECE) from Illinois Institute of Technology where she completed courses in power systems, reliability, operations, and markets.

Skills Summary

Familiar Operating Systems: Windows, Unix, Linux (studying for certifications)

Software/Hardware: EMS (Energy Management Systems), Alstom, Areva, e-terra applications, WebFG, Display Builder, PowerWorld, PSSE, Microcontrollers, PSpice, Matlab, Simulink, Labview, Derive, CAD, AutoCAD, Microsoft Project, SCADA, Controls, HMI, PLC, Remedy, PI (Plant Information), PI-Historian, PED, MS Office (Microsoft Word, Access, Excel, PowerPoint), MapInfo, CIM DE Toolkit, Ranger Network Manager, ABB applications

Programming/IT Experience: Assembly, HTML, JAVA (not expert developer), C, C++ (not expert developer), PERL, UNIX Shell Scripting, Visual Basic, SQL, VBA, Microsoft Applications, XML, GIS, Web applications, Testing, Reporting and Documentation

Graduate Coursework: Control Systems, Power Electronics, Electric Motor Drives, Digital Signal Processing, Power Systems Analysis, Power Market Operations, Power Systems Reliability, Fault Tolerant Power Systems, Power Systems Planning, Power Systems Relaying, Power Operations and Control, Optimization

Continuing Education Coursework: Unix and Linux, AREVA (now ALSTOM) training courses (Network Applications, Databases)

Other Experience (key-words): Modeling, Analysis, Simulations, Security Analysis, Tuning, Real-Time Operations, Dynamic Ratings, HMI Display Customs, Software Regression testing, State Estimator, Power Systems Modeling, Model Comparison Tools, Data Maintenance, Energy Operations, Market Dispute Resolutions, Transmission Operations, AGC (Automatic Generation Control), Shift Work, 24/7 Support, Mentoring, Power Systems Security, LMP, Voltage Studies, Process Improvements, Loss Sensitivity Analysis, Power flow, Historical Analysis, PI (Plant Information) Studies and Customs, Contingency Analysis, Phase Shifter Studies, Equipment Ratings, Data Analysis, Field Inspection, Field Patrol, Storm Duty, Distribution Engineering, Transmission Engineering, Fusing Coordination, Bus

Voltage Analysis, NERC Compliance, Presentation Mapping, Reliability Analysis, High Reliability Systems, Remedy, GMP, Validation Engineering, Quality Engineering

Other Skills

Power Systems, Testing, Engineering, SCADA, Electrical Engineering, Energy, Electric Power, Analysis, Integration, Data Analysis, Electricity Markets, Power Distribution, Problem Solving, Process Improvement, Programming, Energy Management, Technical Writing, Matlab, Microsoft Office, C, Visio, Troubleshooting, Excel, Modeling, Linux, PowerPoint, Requirements Analysis, SQL, Access, Windows, Unix, Perl, Shell Scripting, Technical Training, Technical Analysis, Technical Documentation, Databases, Software Quality, Linear Programming, Computer System, Power Generation, Business Analysis, Consulting, Alstom, ABB, Business Travel, Power Transmission, SharePoint, Elicitation

Professional Training Courses and Certificates

• MS ACCESS - (Professional Training Courses- IL)

• MapInfo (spatial data mapping and visualization) - Professional Training Course - IL

• Unix, Linux - College of Dupage, IL

• Presentation Techniques (Train the Trainer) - Internal Company Training @ MISO

• NERC Reliability Standards - OTS Operations Training Solutions @ MISO

• Transmission Operations - OTS Operations Training Solutions @ MISO

• Alstom Network Applications and Databases - Alstom Grid (Areva) Bellevue, WA

Employment History

Senior Consultant

The Structure Group (Houston, TX)

October 2012 – October 2013 (1 year 1 month) Traveler

Entergy (The Woodlands, TX and Pine Bluff, AR)

GMS Upgrade and RTO (MISO) Implementation projects

Kathleen provided value to the project with her RTO background and Alstom product experience. Her role as staff augmentation team member has been to create and implement a new generation management system with RTO implementation. Kathleen authored technical application diagrams outlining the energy management systems and future implementation strategies. She provided modeling solutions and technical support for SCADA, generation, and OAG (e-terracontrol) applications. Kathleen was lead architect on a custom software solution for handling backup dispatch instructions.

• Provided technical support for software upgrade to Alstom EMS v2.6

• Analyzed SCADA, ICCP, and generation models for implementation

• Created technical detailed design specification for a custom software implementation

• Designed and implemented custom SCADA model solutions for integration into MISO Market

• Created technical and business process diagrams for EMS current and future state

Validation Engineer

Commissioning Agents, Inc. (Indianapolis, IN)

March 2012 –September 2012 (7 months) Traveler

Kathleen authored technical reports evaluating the laboratory and manufacturing systems for performance, trends in failure, and adherence to regulatory compliance standards. She traveled to client sites weekly or bi-weekly across the United States.

Internal Training and Qualifications

• Commissioning

• Validation

• Writing

• Execution

• Automation

• Safety

• Project Management

Novartis Diagnostics (Emeryville, CA)

• Completed ~30 courses on GMP and Validation required training

• Authored equipment and computer system evaluations for laboratory equipment and manufacturing systems

Amylin (West Chester, OH)

• Referenced automation test protocols and wrote final test reports

EMS Applications Engineer

Midwest ISO (Carmel, IN)

February 2008 – August 2011 (3 years 7 months)

Kathleen worked as a multi-disciplinary technical role supporting the RTO real-time operations organization. As part of RTO’s transition to a balancing authority, she tested and supported the Alstom AGC and network applications. She then worked as a shift operations engineering role supporting the real-time applications and reliability of the power grid.

Kathleen then went to the role of an EMS Applications Engineer to support the many needs of testing, model integration, investigations of events, applications development, systems integration, and other diverse needs. She was the SME of network applications including state estimator, contingency analysis, power flow, dynamic ratings, etc. She developed network and SCADA models and technical solutions to test and integrate new EMS applications and software enhancements to existing applications. Interacting with Alstom she thoroughly tested all new software integration with a high level of quality, finding undiscovered vendor defects, and extensively tested to ensure the utmost reliability of EMS applications. She taught company courses and created an interactive training lab for students being introduced to a new EMS application. As part of Alstom User’s Group 2011 she presented twice on behalf of the company as a SME on network applications and dynamic ratings. She also developed new business processes such as a “Model Issue Resolution Process” to better improve the accuracy of the SCADA and network models and improve the existing business practices.

Highlights of Kathleen’s Experience and Accomplishments at the RTO

• Analysis, investigations, and resolutions of issues in real-time operations

• Network and SCADA experience, model development, testing, and tuning

• EMS software releases and special projects such as Dynamic Ratings

• FAT, SAT, performance, and regression testing experience

• Historical studies of the real-time GRID

• AGC Applications, Analysis, and Testing

• Developed custom tools, applications, and specialized utility scripts

• Detected, analyzed, reported, and tested software defects in EMS

• Excellent communication of technical topics and in high-pressure situations

• Designed, implemented, and conducted technical training classes at company

• Oral presentation skills used to speak at conferences and classes

• Used technical data sleuthing to determine root causes of issues

• Results-driven to determine and solve problems to completion

• People-oriented and skilled in professional communication and conflict management

• Process improvement orientated that drove continuous improvement

• Diversity of thought contributed to operational successes

• Technical investigations found and improved process gaps

• Custom designed EMS displays, applications, and performance tools

• Designed, implemented, and managed model issue resolution process

• Worked with control room personnel to resolve issues

• Team focused on collaboration and sharing of both information and ideas

Sr. Analyst IT

Exelon (Lombard, IL)

September 2005 – February 2008 (2 years 6 months)

Kathleen began her power engineering career as an intern in the distribution engineering department and continued to work as reliability engineer after her graduation on the distribution side of the industry. She evaluated the power distribution equipment in the field, patrolled circuits, analyzed circuit maps for reliability, and performed asset management studies to reduce the outage frequency and duration to customers at the utility. She used GIS intelligence to map reliability issues to specific circuits and geographic regions. She analyzed the reliability data with GIS technology to present graphically to management reliability indices, metrics, and other statistics.

Kathleen then transitioned to a role supporting the control center for transmission and substation operations where she worked with EMS ABB network applications. She was responsible for maintaining the CIM computer models for real-time operations. She found opportunity for improvement in business practices and developed an equipment ratings application that compared multiple databases between the utility and RTO to report on discrepancies in the SCADA and network equipment ratings. Kathleen also was responsible for off-hours 24/7 support for the state estimator and other applications.

Sr. Analyst IT – BSC IT ED Real Time

• Maintained EMS computer model data for real-time operations

• Developed equipment ratings application between ComEd and PJM

• Analyzed failures in power systems security in real-time

• Determined and fixed data discrepancies in network model

• Provided off-hours 24/7 support to customers

Engineer

Exelon (Oakbrook Terrace, IL)

January 2004 – August 2005 (1 year 8 months)

Business Performance

• Completed GIS maps and analysis for presentation to customers

• Worked on PowerPoint presentations for upper management

• Created and managed reports on business performance metrics

• Worked on business plans and developed business scorecards

• Transformed GIS data using programming skills for data analysis

Engineer

Exelon (Oakbrook Terrace, IL)

June 2003 – December 2003 (7 months)

Reliability and Power Quality

• Studied bus voltages and voltmeter violations for reliability improvements

• Inspected distribution circuits for reliability issues and engineered solutions

• Performed reliability analysis and fusing coordination on distribution circuits

• Determined and helped implement additional cost savings in asset management of equipment

Professional Engineering Intern

Exelon (Rockford, IL)

May 2002 – August 2002 (4 months)

• Performed engineering field research and design on distribution circuits

• Investigated technical and field problems (technical investigations)

• Performed reliability analysis and fusing coordination

• Worked on independent and team projects

• Investigated line clearance citations and engineered solutions with CAD

Education Details

Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, Illinois

Master of Electrical and Computer Engineering – May 2007

Power and Control Systems Emphasis

Graduate Studies

CONTROL SYSTEMS WITH LAB

DSP DIGITAL SIGNAL PROCESSING

POWER SYSTEMS ANALYSIS

ECE 552 - ADJUSTABLE SPEED DRIVES

Fundamentals of electric machines, basic principles of variable speed controls, field orientation theory, direct torque control, vector of AC drives, induction machines, switched reluctance and synchronous reluctance motors, permanent magnet brushless

DC drives, converter topologies of DC and AC drives, and sensorless operation.(3-0-3)

ECE 551 - ADVANCED POWER ELECTRONICS

Advanced power electronic convertors, techniques to model and control switching circuits, resonant converts, Pulse-Width-Modulation (PWM) techniques, soft-switching methods, and low-voltage high-current design issues are studied. Single-phase

and multi-phase, controlled and uncontrolled rectifiers and inverters with different operating techniques and their design and control issues are explained.(3-0-3)

ECE 553 - POWER SYSTEM PLANNING

Model development. Interchange capability, interconnections, pooling. Economic generator size and site selection. Concept of reserves, transformers, relays and circuit breakers. Reactive planning AC and DC systems are explored thoroughly from a

planning standpoint.(3-0-3)

ECE 554 - POWER SYSTEM RELAYING

Principles of relay protection for faults on transmission lines and in transformers, rotating machines and other equipment. Use of over current, differential, distance, wire-pilot, carrier-pilot and microwave-pilot relaying systems. Solid-state relays and

computer control of relaying. Determination of short-circuit currents and voltages from system studies.(3-0-3)

ECE 555 - POWER MARKET OPERATIONS

Market Design in Restructured Power Systems, Short-term Load Forecasting, Electricity Price Forecasting, Price Based Unit Commitment, Arbitrage in Electricity Market, Market Power Analysis, Asset Valuation and Risk Analysis, Security Constrained

Unit Commitment, Ancillary Services Auction Market Design, Power Transmission Pricing, Regional Transmission Organizations.(3-0-3)

ECE 556 - POWER MARKET ECONOMICS AND SECURITY

This course covers simulation and scheduling tools used in restructured power system for studying the economics and security of power systems. Topics include modeling of generating units (thermal units, combined-cycle units, fuel-switching/blending

units, hydro units, pumped-storage units, photovoltaic, wind), Lagrangian Relaxation-based scheduling, mixed integer programming-based scheduling, and Benders decomposition-based transmission security analyses. The simulation and scheduling tools consider different time scales including on-line security, day-ahead, operational planning, and long-term. The simulation and scheduling tools consider interdependency of supply (such as gas, water, renewable sources of energy) and electricity systems.

ECE 557 - FAULT-TOLERANT POWER SYSTEMS

Critical fault events in a large power system, sparsity techniques. Contingency screening process. Modeling of local controls in load flow. Adaptive localization method. Injection outage analysis. Security constrained dispatch. LP-based OPF. Real-time

security analysis. Dynamic security analysis.(3-0-3)

ECE 558 - POWER SYSTEM RELIABILITY

The concept of reliability, reliability indices, component reliability, generation capacity reserve evaluation, transmission system reliability, bulk power system reliability, distributed system reliability, reliability modeling in context.(3-0-3)

ECE 755 - POWER SYSTEM PROTECTION

This course provides basic understanding of the role of protective relaying in the power system. It also delves into the needs of today's power systems for protection that is robust and tolerant to heavily loaded transmission systems. The students are

challenged to be a part of the solution going forward including the role of wide area system protection.(2-0-2)

Valparaiso University Valparaiso, Indiana

Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering - May 2003

Minor: Mathematics

Undergraduate Studies

• Linear Circuit Theory with Lab

• Engineering Economics

• Advanced Digital Logic Design with Lab

• Power Electronics with Lab

• Electronics with Lab

• Labs

• Control Systems

• Algorithms and Programming

• Advanced Programming

• Probability and Statistics for Engineers

• Electromagnetic Theory

• Senior Design with Lab

• Energy Conversion

• Power Engineering

• Calculus

• Advanced Mathematics

• Statics

• Dynamics

• Microprocessor Applications with Lab

• Physics with Lab

• Communication Theory (Engineering) with Lab

• C++

• Web applications

• JAVA

Licenses

Certification Title Issuing Organization Completion Date

EIT Engineer in Training State of Indiana 06/2003

Honors & Activities

Valedictorian

Additional Information

Work Experience Descriptions

MISO - http://www.katiegirl.net/career/MISOWorkExperience.pdf

Exelon - http://www.katiegirl.net/career/ExelonWorkExperience.pdf