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The 2023 IEEE International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation and USNC-URSI Radio Science Meeting helped celebrate diversity and upcoming leaders in the field.

On 23-28 July 2023, industry professionals from around the world convened in Portland, OR, USA for the 2023 IEEE International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation and USNC-URSI Radio Science Meeting, an international forum promoting the exchange of information and state-of-the-art research on antennas, propagation, electromagnetic engineering, and radio science.

The annual symposium represents one of the most important conference and networking opportunities for the IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society, which has been a hub for engineers, educators and students in that field ever since the Society’s founding in 1952.

In addition to presenting updates on the field’s most prominent topics, including advances in the use of antennas in the spacecraft, medical, and wireless communications industries, this year’s Symposium recognized a number of industry giants and next-generation leaders alike thanks to giving to the IEEE Foundation.

Among other awards, IEEE Fellow Christos Christodoulou, distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, NM, USA and Director of the school’s Computational Electromagnetics and Antennas Lab (COSMIAC), was presented with the 2023 IEEE Chen-to Tai Distinguished Educator Award, which annually recognizes outstanding career achievement by a distinguished educator in the field of antennas and propagation. Christodoulou graciously donated his award cash prize to the IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE) Fund, sharing that, “providing support to WIE is greatly needed to fund educational activities that help advance women in engineering and science.” This award is made possible thanks to a donation from The Tai Family.

“Christos Christodoulou, recipient of the 2023 IEEE Chen-to Tai Distinguished Educator Award, poses with Serene Abu-Sardanah, one of the recipients of the AP-S C.J. Reddy Travel Grants for Graduate Students at the 2023 IEEE International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation and USNC-URSI Radio Science Meeting” (photo credit: M. Deering)

IEEE Senior Member Asimina Kiourti, Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Ohio State University in Columbus, OH, USA and Senior Editor of IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, was presented with the 2023 IEEE APS Lot Shafai Distinguished Achievement Award, which honors the past technical accomplishments and future potential of an outstanding woman of mid-career status in the field of antennas and propagation. Considered a pioneer in the field of electromagnetics, Kiourti’s research in bioelectromagnetics, wearable and implantable antennas, sensors for body area applications, and flexible e-textiles have indelibly advanced those industry applications. This award is made possible thanks to a donation from The Shafai Family.

“Asimina Kiourti (left), recipient of the “2023 IEEE APS Lot Shafai Distinguished Achievement Award,” poses with Professor Jennifer Bernhard of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, who helped to establish the Award through IEEE AP-S and the IEEE Foundation” (photo credit: M. Deering)

“The Lot Shafai Award recognizes a single woman across the world each year, which makes the award extremely competitive and highly prestigious,” shared Kiourti of her recognition. “In addition to evaluating the nominees’ research achievements, the award highlights the accomplishments of women in AP-S and inspires young female professionals to pursue and persist in this career path. It’s a great honor to have received this award,” she confirmed, “and it encourages me to continue to expand on my current work in the field, grow both professionally and personally, give back to the AP-S, and serve as a role model for other young women in the field.”

Six students in the field: Serene Abu-Sardanah, Cristina Origlia, Ilir Gashi, Youngno Youn, Christopher Ryu and Ravikanth Thanikonda were recognized as recipients of the “2023 IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society C.J. Reddy Travel Grant for Graduate Students,” which annually awards several travel grants of US$1,500 each to help M.S. or Ph.D. students in the field attend the annual IEEE International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation. According to Reddy, an IEEE Fellow who established and funded the Travel Grant program in 2019, “I’m excited and proud to provide qualified young students with the same opportunities to attend the AP-S conferences that I was afforded and to set an example for other IEEE members as to how they can turn their philanthropy into impact. It’s been a real joy for me to see the excitement of the grant awardees attending the conference and taking advantage of their interactions with their peers as well as the leaders of the society.”

“Stefano Maci, AP-S President (left), C.J. Reddy (second from right), and Branislav Notaros, AP-S President-Elect (right) pose with C.J. Reddy Travel Grant Award recipients Youngno Youn, Christopher Ryu, Serene Abu-Sanfanah, Ilir Gashi, and Christina Origila at the 2023 IEEE International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation and USNC-URSI Radio Science Meeting; award recipient Ravikanth Thanikonda not pictured” (image courtesy of AP-S)

“I’ve been blessed to work with the IEEE AP-S for many years and to have had the opportunity to interact with so many giants in the field during that time,” shared Michael Deering, IEEE Foundation Senior Development Officer and an attendee at this year’s Symposium. “Being able to support their personal interests and desire to help the next generation of professionals through the establishment of new endowment funds and awards is extremely exciting and rewarding.”