News
IEEE AP-S Travel Grant Established to Honor the Distinguished Career of Dr. John L. Volakis
The IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society (AP-S) established an important initiative as part of the AP-S Talent Development Fund: the IEEE AP-S John Volakis Travel Grant for Graduate Students. This grant honors Dr. John Volakis for his distinguished contributions to the fields of antennas and propagation, as well as his exemplary mentorship. It will provide ongoing support to graduate students each year, allowing them to attend IEEE AP-S conferences and symposia.
To bring the vision of the grant to life, AP-S aims to raise US$1.5 million with US$400,000 for the Volakis Travel Grant. Through a special arrangement, IEEE AP-S will match every dollar raised from the IEEE AP-S reserves. So far, as of April 2025, commitments totaling US$154,000 have been secured, including a significant contribution from Dr. Volakis himself.
Dr. John L. Volakis’s career spans five decades, earning him fellow grades at IEEE, Applied Computational Electromagnetics Society, American Association for the Advancement of Science, National Academy of Inventors, and URSI. He served as dean of engineering and computing at Florida International University (FIU) from 2017 to 2023, where he currently serves as a professor of electrical and computer engineering. His appointments before FIU included Boeing for two years, The University of Michigan for 19-plus years, and his alma mater, The Ohio State University, for 15 years.
He is also one of the most active and cited researchers, with more than 465 journal papers and thousands of conference papers, and the author of nine books, including the popular Antenna Handbook, referred to as the “antenna bible.” Foremost, however, in his many admirable accomplishments may be his impact on his students. He has mentored nearly 110 PhDs/postdocs and has written 46 award-winning papers with them. Among his students, 25 are now faculty members, 10 started their own companies, and several have become leaders of major corporations.
“John’s excellence in research, teaching, scholarship, and administration is widely known among countless members of the IEEE. However, as one of his graduate students, I was fortunate to experience firsthand his unbounded energy, infectious enthusiasm, and, above all, genuine care for the welfare of his students,” shares Sunil Navale, vice president at Northrop Grumman and generous contributor to the grant. “I have been fortunate to have had a variety of great career opportunities in the 27 years since my PhD with John at the University of Michigan.”
“International conferences are a place for exchange of ideas, inspiration, and meaningful connections. They offer graduate students tremendous opportunities to meet and engage with professionals from diverse backgrounds and regions,” shared Yakup Bayram, a former student of Dr. Volakis’s and generous donor. “Personally, the technical discussions I’ve had and the sessions I’ve attended at APS conferences have profoundly shaped my graduate journey, inspiring me to pursue impactful research and ideas. I hope this travel grant will create a similar experience for many graduate students, empowering them to contribute significantly to the APS community and make a lasting impact on the world. Bayram continued, “John Volakis has impacted many lives through his teaching, advising, and outstanding research at universities. Through this grant, he will continue to extend his impact, enriching the life experiences of many others. I am honored and proud to support such a meaningful initiative.”
“This travel grant will offer valuable opportunities for graduate students to network and exchange ideas with other researchers in AP-S. It will serve as a significant learning and professional development experience for these students,” said Hasnain Syed, senior director at Microsoft. He continues, “I feel privileged to endorse and support this significant initiative. Dr. Volakis has been an extraordinary mentor and inspiration throughout my academic journey. His unwavering dedication to teaching, advising, and research has profoundly impacted my life and the lives of many others. Under his guidance, I learned to embrace challenges and strive for excellence in all my endeavors. His passion for knowledge and commitment to fostering the growth of his students have left an indelible mark on the academic community.”
Donations to the AP-S Talent Development Fund to benefit the Volakis Travel Grant will provide, on an annual basis, eight travel grants to graduates. The first grants will be awarded for the 2026 Antennas and Propagation Symposium in Detroit, Michigan.
This grant is part of the IEEE AP-S Talent Development Fund. For more information or to make a donation to the “Waves of Support – Empowering Tomorrow’s Innovators Today” AP-S Talent Development Fund, visit the campaign’s Donation Link or contact IEEE Foundation Senior Development Officer Michael Deering at +1 732-562-3915 or m.deering@ieee.org.
