Electrical Engineering Assistant Professor Javad Lavaei and his colleague from the University of Texas-Austin received notice that the NSF will fund their proposed collaborative project. This approved project is titled "Improving electric power dispatch to ensure reliable, secure and economic transmission." The main objective laid out in this proposal is to improve the representation of post-contingency states in Regional Transmission Organization and Independent System Operator dispatch optimization to better ensure that transmission capability is neither under-utilized nor operated at levels that jeopardize reliability. Improved utilization of transmission capacity will contribute to both lowering the overall cost of electricity supply and enhancing the integration of renewable resources. Professor Lavaei has previously received recognition for his work on power systems optimization and is the recipient of the NSF CAREER Award.