Our group proudly hosted the IEEE International Future Energy Challenge (IFEC) 2024, held from July 14 to July 17 on the UT Austin campus. This year’s competition brought together top undergraduate engineering teams from around the world to tackle a demanding real-world design problem: the development of a high-performance stereo switch-mode audio power amplifier operating from a 48 V DC supply.

Under the leadership of Prof. Brian Johnson as General Chair, and with the dedicated support of other group members and collaborators across UT ECE, IEEE PELS, IAS, and PSMA, the IFEC 2024 finals were successfully executed—combining technical rigor, hands-on testing, and global student engagement.

We would like to express special thanks to Belle Howell for her outstanding contributions throughout the event. From managing logistics and team coordination, Belle’s efforts were instrumental in ensuring the smooth and successful execution of IFEC 2024.

After intense on-site testing and technical presentations, the top awards were announced:

• 1st Place: University of Texas at Dallas
•  2nd Place: Reutlingen University
• 3rd Place: National Taipei University of Technology

Finalist teams also included students from Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, ETF Belgrade, University of Kassel, and Utah State University.