Mariana Resener is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Automation and Energy, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Brazil. She received the B.E., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from UFRGS in 2008, 2011 and 2016, respectively. Her research interests are in optimization applied to power distribution systems and grid integration of distributed and renewable energy resources. She is a member of the editorial board of Energy Systems.Steffen Rebennack is a chaired professor at the Institute of Operations Research at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). He obtained his Ph.D. in 2010 from the University of Florida. In 2015, he received the ENRE Young Researcher Prize. His research interests are in stochastic and large-scale optimization. He applies his research to real-world optimization problems with a focus on power systems applications. He serves as a co-editor for the European Journal of Operational Research.Panos Pardalos is a Distinguished Professor at the University of Florida, and a world renowned leader in Global Optimization, Mathematical Modeling, and Data Sciences. He is a Fellow of AAAS, AIMBE, and INFORMS and was awarded the 2013 Constantin Caratheodory Prize of the International Society of Global Optimization. In addition, Dr. Pardalos has been awarded the 2013 EURO Gold Medal prize bestowed by the Association for European Operational Research Societies. This medal is the preeminent European award given to Operations Research (OR) professionals for “scientific contributions that stand the test of time.”Dr. Pardalos has been awarded a prestigious Humboldt Research Award (2018-2019). The Humboldt Research Award is granted in recognition of a researcher’s entire achievements to date – fundamental discoveries, new theories, insights that have had significant impact on their discipline. Dr. Pardalos is also a Member of the the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences, the Royal Academy of Spain, and the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. He is the Founding Editor of Optimization Letters, Energy Systems, and Co-Founder of the International Journal of Global Optimization, and Computational Management Science. He has published over 500 papers, edited/authored over 200 books and organized over 80 conferences. He has a google h-index of 97 and has graduated 63 PhD students so far.  Sergio Haffner received the B.E. degree in electrical engineering from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, in 1987, and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the State University of Campinas, Brazil, in 1990 and 2000, respectively. He is currently an Associate Professor with the Department of Automation and Energy, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). His current research interests include the power systems operation and planning, electrical machines, and optimization.

• Optimal Volt/Var Control Applied to Modern Distribution Systems.- Consensus Based Distributed Optimal ReactivePpower Control in Power Distribution Systems.- Linear Model to Represent Unbalanced Distribution Systems in Optimization Problems.- Convex Optimization for the Optimal Power Flow on DC Distribution Systems.- Energy Storage System Sitting and Sizing for Renewable Support.- Distribution System Operation with Energy Storage and Renewable Generation Uncertainty.- Network Reconfiguration in Modern Power Distribution Networks.- Switch Optimization for Smart Grid Distribution Automation.- Optimal Restoration of Electrical Distribution Systems Considering Switching Sequence.- Electric Distribution Network Planning Under Uncertainty.- Phase Balancing in Power Distribution Grids: A Genetic Algorithm with a Group-based Codification.- Deterministic and Probabilistic Models for Energy Management in Distribution Systems.