Jennifer L. Zirnheld is an Associate Professor and Director of Energy Systems Integration in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University at Buffalo.  As a faculty member she has been the author of and co-investigator on many grants, contracts, and fellowships from both industry and government. Dr. Zirnheld's area of technical expertise and interests are in the area of but not limited to dielectric phenomena, energy and power, multifactor stress aging, partial discharge analysis, systems of systems integration and engineering education.  Her efforts have been funded by DOD through the US ARMY, Imperial Machine and Tool Co., National Grid USA and others.  Her more recent research focus is to study the use of non-thermal plasma on cancer cells.  Most recently, she was part of the interdisciplinary steering committee to develop recommendations for RENEW's (Research and Education in eNergy, Environment and Water) operation. 

Dr. Zirnheld is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and has co-authored over 50 publications for journals and for IEEE conferences in Insulation and Dielectrics, Pulsed Power and related areas, in addition to being a technical program chair and journal reviewer.  She has also co-authored two book chapters for Academic Press in the area of Low and High Dielectric materials and their applications. 

She actively mentors undergraduates and graduates in addition to her own undergraduate and graduate students through several outreach programs including the National Science Foundation (NSF) funded programs such as the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP), the Bridges to the Doctorate Program (BD Program), and the McNair Program, hosting them for academic year and summer research experiences.  She is currently on the steering committee for The Institute for the Strategic Enhancement of Educational Diversity (iSEED) building a culturally and intellectually diverse and academically community University wide.    

In addition to her research activities, she has been the recipient of numerous teaching and mentoring awards including the IEEE Region 1 "IEEE Outstanding Teaching Award - For Outstanding Contributions in Educational and Professional Leadership," selected from over 35,000 members in IEEE's Region 1, the University at Buffalo's Student Association Milton Plesur Excellence in Teaching Award (two - time winner), UB's Career Services "Positive Influence on Students" (two- time recognition) the New York Nu chapter of Tau Beta Pi, UB's branch of the Engineering Honor Society "Professor of the Year," and most recently selected as a "University at Buffalo Mentor of Excellence," in the inaugural class of five recipients of the President Emeritus and Mrs. Martin Meyerson Award for Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching and Mentoring. In 2013 she was recognized by The University at Buffalo Alumni Association with the Dr. Richard T. Sarkin Award for Excellence in Teaching. 

• PhD, Electrical Engineering, University at Buffalo, 2004
• MS, Electrical Engineering, University at Buffalo, 1997
• BS, Electrical Engineering, University at Buffalo, 1993