From left: Mechanical engineering professors Dr. Giacomo Valerio Iungo, Dr. Stefano Leonardi, Dr. Mario Rotea, Dr. Todd Griffith and Dr. Jie Zhang conduct research for the Wind Energy Science, Technology and Research Center.
The University of Texas at Dallas has received continued federal support for the Center for Wind Energy Science, Technology and Research (WindSTAR), a public-private research partnership designed to develop solutions for energy independence and reliability.
WindSTAR, managed by UT Dallas and the University of Massachusetts Lowell, recently received $500,000 in funding over five years. to agree from the National Science Foundation (NSF), which has supported WindSTAR since its inception in 2014.
The new funding, which awards $250,000 to each university, supports projects that integrate artificial intelligence (AI) to minimize manufacturing defects, predict the condition of wind turbine components, forecast wind conditions, and develop robust and resilient wind energy systems.
WindSTAR is an NSF Industry-University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC) that aims to generate groundbreaking research by facilitating collaboration between industrial innovators, academic researchers, and government agencies. This is part of UTD Windthe Wind Energy Center at UT Dallas, which is dedicated to advancing the science and engineering of wind energy.
“This support from the National Science Foundation allows us to continue our work to strengthen the resilience of the energy grid,” said Dr Mario Roteadirector of UTD Wind, director of the WindSTAR site and professor of mechanical Engineering in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science. “Investments in WindSTAR enhance our ability to innovate new technologies to ensure greater reliability in our energy systems.”
The IUCRC has completed 79 projects for industrial members that include numerical models to evaluate performance, measurement campaigns, control systems, materials processing and manufacturing of blades and towers.
“WindSTAR has created a direct link between our superior research and industry needs,” said Dr. Edward Whiteprofessor and head of the department of mechanical engineering and chair of the Jonsson School. “More than 25 graduate students have gained invaluable experience working with industry partners, and many have secured positions with WindSTAR member companies after graduation. This partnership is a model of how academic research can contribute to workforce development for the energy sector.”
NAWEA/WindTech 2025
UT Dallas and Sandia National Laboratories will host this year’s conference October 13-17. The event will bring together participants from academia, government laboratories and industry, and will foster collaboration and innovation in wind energy research. Learn more about the conference website.
Some WindSTAR graduates have been hired by government labs and universities. Umberto Ciri PhD’19, associate professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez and recipient of a 2025 NSF Early Career Development (CAREER) program award, said WindSTAR’s support for his research as a doctoral student at UT Dallas gave him the opportunity to work closely with industry to develop and test strategies to make wind energy production more effective.
“The dialogue and feedback that has taken place over the years has really helped make my research more effective in the field, which was a key goal for me, especially as a student early in my career,” Ciri said.
“Additionally, participating in WindSTAR activities and meetings really exposed me to different aspects of the wind energy sector beyond my specific field of study. This really helped me learn about the industry and was a unique advantage during my doctoral studies.”