Alerify CEO Visits Penn State to Support Data Center Energy Research

This week, Andy Kochanowski, PhD, Founder and CEO of Alerify, visited Penn State University’s Department of Architectural Engineering to engage with faculty and graduate students working on advanced data center energy research. The visit underscored the growing importance of collaboration between industry and academia as data centers continue to evolve.

Wangda Zuo, Andy Kochanowski, Viswanathan Ganesh, and Michael Maloney at Penn State University

During the visit, Ph.D. students Viswanathan Ganesh and Michael Maloney presented their ongoing research focused on improving data center energy efficiency. Their work uses Alerify’s data center as a real-world case study. They combine operational data with physics-based modeling and data-driven methods. This research builds on more than a decade of Penn State’s work in data center cooling and is part of a broader NSF-funded initiative aimed at enhancing efficiency, reliability, and sustainability in modern data centers.

Their discussion highlighted how access to real operational data can strengthen academic research and accelerate meaningful innovation. For Andy, the visit reinforced the value of bridging theory and practice which will ensure that research translates into real-world impact.

“Integrating academic rigor with real-world application is essential for innovation and long-term energy savings in the data center industry,” Andy shared.

Alerify is incredibly grateful to Penn State’s Department of Architectural Engineering, Dr. Wangda Zuo, and the research team for the opportunity to collaborate and exchange ideas. We look forward to continuing this partnership as we work together to shape a more efficient and sustainable future for data center infrastructure.