Title: The cumulative adverse effects of offshore wind energy development on wildlife

Abstract: Assessing the cumulative effects of offshore wind energy development on wildlife is a requirement for the environmental impact statements in the U.S., U.K., and the E.U. Yet, there are many unknowns on how to conduct meaningful assessments. My presentation will seek to bring greater clarity on defining cumulative adverse effects, and highlight challenges. Specifically, I will describe the adverse effects of offshore wind energy development on wildlife; how these effects accumulate to become cumulative adverse effects; approaches to determining analysis scope, conducting assessments, and developing mitigation actions; and the potential direction of my PhD dissertation research.

Title: Evolutionary Identification of Wind Turbine Dynamics

Abstract: Wind turbines are complex, non-linear dynamic systems that require accurate control design to operate efficiently. The automated identification of wind turbine dynamics aids in the control design process by providing data-based models to work with. To help understand the underlying physics and develop more intelligible models, evolutionary computation can be used. Bio-inspired and gradient-inspired innovations to this process will be discussed.