ECE Hall of Fame: Robert J. Burns
Alumnus Robert J. (Bob) Burns graduated from The Ohio State University with a BSEE in March 1987, specializing in the Electric Power and High Voltage areas.
After graduating from Ohio State, he began working for Columbus & Southern Ohio Electric Company (C&SOE) as a Station Engineer. During his 31 years at C&SOE and American Electric Power (AEP), he held many positions, eventually retiring as the Manager of Dolan Technology Center, AEP’s Electrical Research Facility in Groveport, Ohio.
AEP’s Dolan Technology Center (DTC) is one of the leading testing facilities of the electric utility industry in the USA, known nationally and internationally. DTC provides a wide range of real-world testing services for electrical and mechanical power equipment and systems, on site or at various locations.
While at AEP, Burns authored and presented papers at conferences on various topics, including but not limited to: utilizing automated meters to monitor station feeders, station buses and station power transformers; utilizing automated mapping to manage the modern utility; and installing fleet level automatic vehicle locations systems (AVL).
As the Manager of the Dolan Technology Center, Burns said he led a very talented group of test engineers while performing cutting-edge product testing and system development. This testing was performed for both internal and external customers to AEP. Testing included: microgrid, energy storage, insulation systems (including aerial devices), high voltage, high current, various electrical, environmental and mechanical stresses and various smart grid technologies.
After graduation, Burns took many paths in life including military service in the US Army, Ohio Army National Guard and US Air Force Reserves. He also explore the sky and entrepreneurship with his family.
His advice to new students at Ohio State ECE is to lead their lives in the pursuit of knowledge - not just in the classroom but after graduation as well. Follow that curiosity toward learning more about the world.
"During my entire career I did strive to learn as much as I could and apply this to real world practical problems. I firmly believe that the engineering discipline is much more than an academic exercise and we must learn more from our life experiences than we were able to in the class room," Burns said. "In support of this belief, I have tried to become exposed to and learn in as many areas as possible. I have also earned my Private Single Engine Pilots License, Category A Commercial Driver’s License, owned and operated a machine shop with my late father, have driven competitively racing karts, competitively flown radio controlled aircraft (both powered and unpowered), been an amateur photographer for many years and am currently pursuing the hobby of astro-photography."
