Harikrishna Rao Mohan Rao

Area of Study / Keywords

Advanced Alarm Systems Industrial Alarm Monitoring Process Diagnostics

About

Harikrishna Rao (Hari) is a Ph.D. candidate in the Advanced Alarm Management and Design Group, supervised by Dr. Tongwen Chen. He is also guided by Dr. Sirish L. Shah. His research focuses on advanced data-driven solutions for the improvement of industrial alarm systems. He aims to develop reliable decision support systems that improve operations and reduce operator workload in the process industries. He received his B.Tech degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Kerala in 2012, where he was awarded the Proficiency Prize for the Best outgoing student (equivalent to Chancellor's Leadership Medal at the UofA). His undergraduate project was completed at the Indian Space Research Organization. Hari joined the graduate program at the University of Alberta with over seven years of industrial experience in process control and automation, alarm management, and fault detection in the utility-scale SOFC industry in the U.S., India, Japan, and South Korea. Hari was awarded the 2023 IEEE Systems Council James O. Gray Graduate Scholarship. He is actively involved with the International Society of Automation (ISA) and IEEE. He is also a non-voting member of the ISA18 Standards Committee on Instrument Signals and Alarms.

He enjoys tennis (Roger Federer fan forever!), ice hockey (of course, Let's Go Oilers), exploring Edmonton's vast river valley, and discovering the hidden gems in the city!

Quote of the month (May/June 2025): "Control is not in outcomes; it is in how deeply you understand uncertainty."

Research

Research Interests: Industrial Alarm Monitoring, Advanced Alarm Systems, and Process Diagnostics

During his tenure in the industry, Hari's work focused on Alarm Management and Fault Detection. He also holds two patent-approved invention disclosures classified as Trade-Secrets in the field of early detection and prediction (online implementation) of abnormality and component failures using process data, and he was the youngest employee to do so. His current research interests fall within the area of intelligent process monitoring and control of large-scale processes. 

Select Recognitions

• 2025 Leonard E. Gads Graduate Student Teaching Assistant Award (Faculty of Engineering, University of Alberta): Teaching
• 2025 Graduate Student Teaching Award (Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, University of Alberta): Teaching
• 2025 Graduate Student Service Award (Graduate Students' Association, University of Alberta): Leadership, Community Service, Research, and Teaching.
• 2024 ISA Student Volunteer of the Year Award (Celebrating Global Excellence Award, International Society of Automation): Leadership
• 2024 Graduate Student Teaching Award (Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, University of Alberta): Teaching
• 2023 IEEE Systems Council James O. Gray Graduate Scholarship: Research and Academics
• Bob Connell Scholarship for 2023-2024 by the International Society of Automation (ISA) Edmonton section: Leadership, Volunteering
• J Gordin Kaplan Graduate Student Award, 2023 (Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, formerly FGSR, University of Alberta): Research
• Named Inventor in the Invention Disclosure designated as a Patent approved Trade Secret (Bloom Energy Patent Review Board, 2019): Invention/Research
• Named Inventor in the Invention Disclosure designated as a Patent approved Trade Secret (Bloom Energy Patent Review Board, 2018): Invention/Research
• Chancellor’s Leadership Medal and Proficiency Prize for the Best Outgoing Student (University of Kerala): Academics, Co-Curricular Activities, and Leadership

Publications

• Industrial Alarm Management:
  

1. H. R. M. Rao, T. Chen, and S. L. Shah, "Advances in the smart data analytics framework: Integrating data extraction and automated reporting," 2024 IEEE 3rd Industrial Electronics Society Annual On-Line Conference (ONCON), Beijing, China, 2024, Art. No. 10931649.
2. Y. Rahimi, H. R. M. Rao, and T. Chen, "Optimizing alarm design: A comparison of delay-timers, counters, and time-deadbands," 2024 IEEE 3rd Industrial Electronics Society Annual On-Line Conference (ONCON), Beijing, China, 2024, Art. No. 10931662.
3. H. R. M. Rao, B. Zhou, K. Brown, T. Chen, and S. L. Shah, "Alarm correlation analysis with applications to industrial alarm management", Control Engineering Practice, vol. 143, 105812, Feb. 2024.
   
4. H. O. Garcés, B. Aballay, H. R. M. Rao, T. Chen, and S. L. Shah,  "An Unsupervised Machine Learning Approach for Process Monitoring by Visual Analytics". IFAC-PapersOnLine, 58(14), pp.847-854, 2024.
5. N. Tamascelli, H. R. M. Rao, V. Cozzani, N. Paltrinieri, and T. Chen, "Online Classification of Alarm Floods Using a Word2vec Algorithm", IECON 2023- 49th Annual Conference of the IEEE Industrial Electronics Society, Singapore, Singapore, 2023, pp. 1-6.
6. H. R. M. Rao, S. L. Shah, and T. Chen, “Application of Alarm Correlations in Root Cause Diagnosis of Plant-wide Oscillations”, IFAC-PapersOnLine, 56(2), pp.7154-7159, 2023. Presented at the 22nd IFAC World Congress 2023, Yokohama, Japan.
7. H. R. M. Rao, B. Zhou, T. Chen and S. L. Shah, “Discovery of Alarm Correlations Based on Pattern Mining and Network Analysis”, American Control Conference (ACC), 2022, pp. 2467-2472, Atlanta, USA, 8-10 Jun. 2022.

• Engineering Education

1. R. Khodarahmi, J. Miller-Young, and H. R. M. Rao, "Toward a More Transformative EDI in Engineering", accepted to the Canadian Engineering Education Association (CEEA-ACEG) Conference 2025
2. A. K. Vinayak and H. R. M. Rao, “Engineering education: Nurturing a holistic skill set for future success through an introductory course”, Proceedings of the Canadian Engineering Education Association (CEEA-ACEG) Conference 2024, Edmonton, Canda, 15-20, Jun. 2024.
3. H.R.M. Rao, H. Zhu, and J. Acharya, J., "Teaching and Leading in the Gaming Industry: Past, Present, and Future." Bulletin of the Technical Committee on Learning Technology (ISSN: 2306-0212) 23, no. 1 (2023): 1-4.

Invited Talks, Presentations, and Other Speaking Engagements (representing AAMD Research Group):

• 2025 Automation Expo and Conference, organized by the International Society of Automation (Edmonton Section), Date: April 9 & 10, 2025. Title: "Data-Driven Alarm Management Tools in the Era of Digital Transformation", under the Digital Transformation Super Track.
• Workshop on Intelligent Alarm Management Techniques and Applications at the 12th IFAC Symposium on Advanced Control of Chemical Processes (ADCHEM 2024), Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on July 14, 2024. Title: "Intelligent Alarm Management Toolbox Developed at the University of Alberta".
• 2024 ISA Calgary Show, Calgary, organized by the International Society of Automation(Calgary Section), Date: June 11-13, 2024. Title: "Advanced Alarm Management Tools Developed at the University of Alberta".
• Webinar session entitled "MATLAB-based Alarm Management Tools Developed at the University of Alberta", by Sirish L. Shah, Tongwen Chen, and Harikrishna Rao Mohan Rao, as a part of the AI and Predictive Maintenance in Chemical Engineering Webinar Series, organized by Mathworks Inc. on March 05, 2024.
• Co-presenter (along with Dr. Sirish L. Shah) and Demonstrator of Alarm Management Toolbox at the Alarm Data Analytics & Panel Discussion, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay, India. Date: Jan 31, 2024. Organized by the Centre of Excellence in Oil, Gas and Energy, IIT Bombay, India.
• Autonomous Systems Initiative Symposium - "Automated Futures", University of Alberta, Edmonton on September 14-15, 2023. Title: "Toward Intelligent Monitoring of Industrial Systems Using UofA’s Alarm Management Toolbox (AMTool)".
• Workshop on Data Analytics, Causality Inference, and Deep Learning Techniques for Intelligent Alarm Monitoring at the 22nd IFAC World Congress 2023, Yokohama, Japan, on July 8, 2023. Title: "Intelligent Alarm Management Toolbox Developed at the University of Alberta".
• Co-speaker (along with Dr. Tongwen Chen) and Demonstrator of Alarm Management Toolbox at Data-Driven Smart Systems (DDSS) International Workshop, Hiroshima, Japan. Date: July 6-7, 2023. Organized by Digital Manufacturing Education Research Centre (DMERC), Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering - Hiroshima University.
• 2023 Automation Expo and Conference, organized by the International Society of Automation (Edmonton Section), Date: April 5 & 6, 2023. Title: "The Latest Alarm Analytics Tools Developed by the University of Alberta".
• Webinar entitled "Advances in Alarm Management Tools Developed at the University of Alberta" by Harikrishna Rao Mohan Rao*, and Sirish L. Shah, organized by Process Management & Control Special Interest Group, Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) on Oct 25, 2022.

Research Posters:

• A. Yu, H.R.M. Rao, and T. Chen, "Alarm Data Analytics and Visualization Using Spiral Graphs," Dean's Research Award - Winter 2024, Faculty of Engineering, University of Alberta
• A. Yu, H.R.M. Rao, and T. Chen, "Alarm Data Analytics and Visualization," Dean's Research Award - Fall 2024, Faculty of Engineering, University of Alberta
• H. R. M. Rao and T. Chen, FGSR Innovation Showcase (May 25, 2022), Student and Postdoctoral Innovations from YEG Postsecondary Institutions

Teaching

Teaching Assistant for the following courses:

• Lead Teaching Assistant: ENGG 160 Introduction to Engineering Design, Communication, and Profession - Winter 2024
• ECE 460 Control Systems II - Winter 2024
• ECE 209 Fundamentals of Electrical Engineering (Lab) - Fall 2023, Fall 2022, Spring/Summer 2021, Winter 2021
• ENGG 160 Introduction to Engineering Design, Communication, and Profession - Winter 2023, Winter 2022 (Control System Architecture Design)
• ECE 360 Control Systems I - Fall 2021

He also worked as a Research Assistant at the Institute of Intersectional Studies at the University of Alberta for Fall 2024/Winter 2025, under the supervision of Dr. Janice Miller-Young, on a project to improve Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Diversity (EDI&I) in Engineering Curricula, led by Dr. Ivan Fair, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Engineering.

Other Engagements:

Hari has been selected/nominated at the University of Alberta to serve in various committees and student representative organizations in judiciary, advisory, and leadership roles. He aims to improve the student experience, outreach of the resources, foster meaningful connections, and create a sense of belongingness among the community.

• President, University of Alberta Student Chapter of International Society of Automation (ISA) Edmonton Section (2023-'24)
• Graduate Panel Member, University Appeal Board (UAB) 2022-2025 
• Graduate Student Member, UofA Student Experience Action Plan (SEAP) Support Team (2023-'25) - Read the plan here "Igniting Purpose - The SEAP"
• Student Library Advisory Committee (SLAC), 2020-2025
• International Students Advisory Committee (ISAC), 2020-2023
• Office of the Registrar's Student Advisory Committee - 2022-2024.
• Dean of Students Advisory Committee (DAC), 2020-'21, 2023-'24
• University of Alberta International Students' Association (UAISA) as the Vice President- Academic Affairs during 2021-2022, and the Director (Student Engagement) during 2020-'21
• Member of the award winning Hybrid Delivery Project Team at the Faculty of Engineering (Fall 2021)

External Engagements:

• Hari is an active member of the International Society of Automation, where he serves in the following capacities:
  • President of the UofA Student Chapter (Aug. 2023 - Jan. 2025)
  • Non-voting member (by appointment) of the ISA18 Standards Committee on Instrument Signals and Alarms (Jan. 2025 - present)
  • Member (by selection) Student Guardian Committee (July 2023 - 2025)
  • Member (by invitation) of the Program Committee on Career Skills Track for  the 2025 ISA Automation Summit and Expo (Jan. 2025 - present)
  • Former member of the Education and Research Division (global).
• Reviewer, Control Engineering Practice (Elsevier).
• IEEE Technical Community on Learning Technology (TCLT) - where he interviewed industrial experts and published review articles in the Bulletin of the Technical Committee on Learning Technology.
• Judge, 2024 Edmonton Regional Science Fair.
• Invited panelist, UAlberta International - Global Learning EDI, Jan 2024.
• Invited panelist for the session on Teaching in the Canadian Classroom (GTLP Level-1), organized by the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, University of Alberta, August 2024.
• Co-facilitator, Certificate in Global Climate Change Leadership (2025) and  Global Climate Change Simulation (2024), organized by the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU).
• Invited panelist, International Student Mental Health Panel, organized by Wellness Supports at UofA and the University of Alberta International Students' Association (UAISA), Jan 2023.

He has been nominated by the Dean of Students to represent the University of Alberta at the Healthy Campus Alberta Wellness Summit 2023, recognizing his contributions to the advocacy for mental health and wellness on campus. He is one of the 20 creative artists from the University of Alberta to be featured in "Happiness Reflected", a community creative project and a limited series podcast released as a part of the 2024 International Day of Happiness, as well as the 2025 Edition of the project.

Book(s) Currently Reading (Feb 2025)

• "A Wrinkle in Time" by Madeleine L'Engle.
• "The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared" by Jonas Jonasson

Useful Links

• Campus Resources under Vice-Provost and Dean of Students
• Helpful Resources for Students
• Wellness Resources from the University of Alberta Students' Union (UASU)
• Bright breaks: Various mini-powered guided breaks and activities - Free for UofA students and Faculty.
• Mindfulness Resources from UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center