Wireless Networking and Communications Group formed at University of Texas - Core Research Expertise Being Developed in Austin
September 6, 2002
The University of Texas has recently formed a new research center aimed at creating fundamental knowledge and improving understanding for future wireless communications networks. The new research center, the Wireless Networking and Communications Group (WNCG), has state-of-the art wireless hardware equipment and software capabilites for the analysis, design, research, and development of wireless networks, systems, and components from baseband to 60 GHz.
WNCG is focusing on six key thrust areas that are fundamental to all wireless networks:
- propagation and antennas;
- signal processing techniques and implementation;
- modulation and coding;
- network architectures, software, and protocol performance;
- sensor and ad-hoc networks; and
- network security.
The University of Texas has committed significant resources to this new research initiative, including seven new Electrical and Computer Engineering faculty positions in wireless communications and networking, an entire floor of the ENS building on the UT campus, and a fully functional antenna range, anechoic chamber, and test facilities for RF/Antenna/ Microstrip design, development and wireless network system test at UT’s J.J. Pickle Research Center.
The WNCG will involve faculty and students in a cross-disciplinary research culture, and will reach out to other areas of expertise within UT to form a research center of excellence that can analyze, design, deploy, and fabricate futuristic wireless devices, systems, sub-systems, and networks.
Prof. Ted Rappaport, UT’s William and Bettye Nowlin Chair in Engineering and a leading researcher in wireless communications, was recently recruited to spearhead WNCG. Having developed one of the world’s first academic research centers in the fields of antennas/propagation, communications, and signal processing at Virginia Tech in the 1990’s, Rappaport has brought his research to UT to continue work in the communications and networking fields.
Also joining WNCG this year are three new assistant professors in the wireless networking and communications area. In January, Prof. Robert Heath, an expert in multi-antenna systems, joined UT's faculty from Stanford University. In addition, two faculty members, Prof. Jeff Andrews, a researcher in CDMA from Stanford University, and Prof. Sanjay Shakkottai, with expertise in wireless networking from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, have recently joined WNCG.
All faculty are actively involved in creating a unified curriculum and will teach new or existing courses to build UT’s communications area. The newly formed WNCG will create a state-of-the art undergraduate and graduate curriculum while focusing on pre-competitive research that is fundamental to the telecommunications, semiconductor, and software industries.
University of Texas faculty involved with the formation of WNCG, and their areas of expertise include:
Prof. Jeff Andrews in CDMA communications and mulitple access techniques;
Prof. William Bard, in security, network design, software, and implementation;
Prof. Al Bovik in image and video processing and communication
Prof. Gustavo de Veciana in networks, protocol analysis and design, sensor nets;
Prof. Brian Evans in real-time DSP algorithms and transceiver design;
Prof. Robert Heath, in Smart Antennas, DSP, & Multiple-Input Multiple Output systems;
Prof. Dean Neikirk, in microwave devices, fabrication, and sensors
Prof. Scott Nettles, in Active Network architecture, design, and implementation;
Prof. Hao Ling, in antennas, propagation and RF design
Prof. Ted Rappaport, in RF propagation, communication system design, and data networks
Prof. Sanjay Shakkottai in advanced network architectures for wireless networks
Prof. Edward Powers in communication systems, propagation and DSP
WNCG is located on the 4th floor of the Engineering Science Building, on the University of Texas campus in Austin, TX, and also has offices and specialized antenna and device fabrication facilities at the J. J. Pickle Research Center in North Austin. To provide close ties with R&D experts at companies and government agencies, WNCG has launched an Industry Partners program. The WNCG Industry Partners program provides sponsor companies with direct access to student recruiting, early exposure to research results and technology expertise, access to UT research facilities, and direct contact with researchers across campus.
Already, Motorola, SBC, and Texas Instruments have joined the WNCG Industry Partnership Program, and faculty are in discussions with other leading technology companies and leading government research agencies.
WNCG on the web will soon be located at www.wncg.org. For more information, call (512) 471-6500.
