Boris Zárate Email Address

Data Scientist and Senior PGD Engineer− Performance Monitoring, Six Sigma Green Belt

NextEra Energy Resources, LLC is a renewables & environment management company which provides Wind Power Generation, Solar Power Generation, Nuclear Power Generation, and Hydro Power Generation.

I obtained a BS in civil engineering with emphasis in structures from Universidad del Valle (Colombia) in 2005. I pursued graduate studies in civil engineering at the University of South Carolina, where I earned a MS in 2007 and a PhD in 2009. I have numerous publications in the fields of: vibration control, system identification using low frequency vibration data, finite element modeling, numerical model validation and calibration, uncertainty estimation, fracture and fatigue assessment and prognosis using Acoustic Emission data. Currently I am a Data Scientist/Sr Performance Engineer, Six Sigma Green Belt at NextEra Energy Resources, where I perform data analytics and create statistical models of Nuclear power plant assets for online performance monitoring. These models include the use of machine learning for reliability monitoring. Previously I worked in the MISTRAS Group where I worked in the field of online monitoring of different power plant assets. Including the use of Acoustic Emission for online monitoring of Combustion Turbines. Prior to joining MISTRAS, I was a post-doctoral fellow at the University of South Carolina where I worked in the field of non-destructive evaluation and structural health monitoring. During my tenure at the University of South Carolina I developed and implemented deterministic and probabilistic methodologies for global and local structural assessment. This includes the use of low frequency vibration to determine the global state of large structures, such as cable-stayed bridges; and the use of high frequency data, such as Acoustic Emission to assess the remaining fatigue life of structural elements. Additionally, I was the lecturer of several undergraduate courses at the University of South Carolina including: numerical methods, programming, and dynamics.