# Shirin Afzali

> Controls Software Engineer | Optimization, Control Systems, Embedded Software Development

Location: San Jose, California, United States
Profile: https://flows.cv/shirinafzali

## Work Experience
### Software Engineer II @ ENGIE North America Inc.
Jan 2025 – Present | San Jose, California, United States

### Staff Controls Engineer @ Bloom Energy
Jan 2025 – Jan 2025 | San Jose, California, United States
• Conducted in-depth data analysis on component failure datasets using Python, developing scripts and algorithms to identify root causes and failure patterns, enabling targeted firmware code improvements.
• Automated firmware regression testing process, replacing manual test procedures with scripted workflows that reduced testing time, improved coverage, and increased release reliability.
• Provided technical mentorship, offering support and knowledge-sharing to help junior team members ramp up on projects.

### Senior Controls Engineer @ Bloom Energy
Jan 2022 – Jan 2025 | San Jose, California, United States
• Developed firmware for embedded controllers, implementing advanced control algorithms and designing state machines to operate solid oxide fuel cell systems, enabling clean and efficient electricity generation.
• Utilized object-oriented programming in MATLAB along with code generation tools to parse C code and produce optimized binary files.
• Enhanced performance and reliability of customer energy servers by identifying and resolving embedded controller bugs through comprehensive unit testing and system-level validation.
• Designed and deployed HMI interfaces in Ignition to expose critical tags, enabling secure remote monitoring and control of fuel cell systems.
• Automated system reliability testing by creating Python scripts that leveraged APIs, improving test coverage, efficiency, and accuracy.
• Built a data collection and simulation pipeline to ingest real-world field data, replicate operational events in a simulator, and optimize system performance through detailed analysis.

### Graduate Research Assistant | Complex Systems Control Lab @ University of Georgia College of Engineering
Jan 2019 – Jan 2021 | Athens, Georgia, United States
• Devised optimal strategies for supplemental lighting control in greenhouses using nonlinear convex optimization (CVXPY) and reinforcement learning in Python leading to 33% reduction in electricity costs while maintaining plant growth.
• Implemented the optimal supplemental lighting strategy in a research greenhouse by Raspberry Pi using Debian Linux while monitoring plant growth through processing plant images in PlantCV.
• Enhanced sunlight prediction used in the strategy by incorporating Bayesian Neural Networks, thereby increasing cost reduction.

### Controls Engineering Intern @ Bloom Energy
Jan 2021 – Jan 2021 | San Jose, California, United States
• Built a model to estimate airflow of solid oxide fuel cell systems using optimization tools.
• Validated the model for all operating ranges through statistical analysis in Python.

### Undergraduate Teaching Assistant @ University of Tehran
Jan 2017 – Jan 2018
• Designed five assignments and a course project for “Modern Control” course as the head TA while cooperating with other TAs. 
• Taught three-hour lab sessions and provided assistance to 15 students during the session on a weekly basis. 
• Managed time to perform well in bachelor’s courses while grading assignments and quizzes for 60 students on a weekly basis.

### Electrical Engineering Intern @ Rayan Nik Electronic
Jan 2017 – Jan 2017
• Developed a low-cost wireless sensing system for monitoring humidity and temperature. 
• Programmed a C-based controller for real-time data monitoring through sensors.
• Collaborated with team members to design a PCB and programmed NodeMcu using Arduino for seamless wireless data transfer.


## Education
### Master of Science - MS in Electrical and Computer Engineering
University of Georgia College of Engineering

### Bachelor of Science - BS in Electrical Engineering
University of Tehran

### Diploma in Mathematics and Physics
National Organization for Development of Exceptional Talents (Sampad)


## Contact & Social
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/shirin-afzali

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Source: https://flows.cv/shirinafzali
JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/shirinafzali/resume.json
Last updated: 2026-04-11