New Impact Fellow: Alaa Selim

We are excited to introduce our newest MCSC Impact Fellow, Alaa Selim!

Alaa is a power systems researcher specializing in artificial intelligence, control, and optimization for secure and resilient energy infrastructure. He holds a PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Connecticut and previously conducted postdoctoral research at Dartmouth’s Thayer School of Engineering and the Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society. Before pursuing his PhD, he worked as an Application Design Engineer at Schneider Electric.

His research sits at the intersection of energy systems, artificial intelligence, and cyber-physical systems. He has a particular focus on smart grids and microgrids, with the goal of making energy infrastructure more secure and resilient. He has explored how AI and machine learning can support energy system control, optimization, and resilience. 

At MCSC, Alaa will study the energy and environmental challenges associated with data centers. He will develop methods to meet growing computing demands while reducing energy use, water use, and carbon emissions, and examine how data centers interact with the electric grid. As an Impact Fellow, he will collaborate with MCSC member companies and the broader MIT community to identify real-world challenges and develop practical solutions for more sustainable infrastructure.

Alaa looks forward to learning from researchers and industry partners and exploring how different perspectives can help turn research into practical solutions. He enjoys developing interactive research dashboards and giving hands-on demonstrations that make complex ideas accessible and encourage discussion.

With MCSC, he hopes to develop and release a practical tool that helps partners explore the energy and environmental impacts of data centers and identify opportunities for more sustainable operations. He is also interested in questions around AI and energy justice, including how to make computing infrastructure more sustainable while ensuring people can access and benefit from the technologies it supports.