Ted Rappaport, N9NB, of New York City, has been named the recipient of the 2012 William E. Sayle Award for Achievement in Education, given by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Education Society. The prestigious award is presented annually to an IEEE Education Society member who has made significant contributions in engineering education.

Rappaport, an ARRL Life Member, is a professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University (NYU-Poly). According to the university, Rappaport was selected to receive the award “for his exceptional technical and varied contributions in the creation of research centers, educational books and software and for the creation of products in the wireless industry.”

“We take great pride in IEEE’s recognition of Professor Rappaport’s achievements, and we are honored to have him teaching and conducting research at NYU-Poly,” said NYU-Poly President Jerry M. Hultin. “He has contributed greatly to engineering education, and he generously shares his scholarship and expertise with the young men and women studying at this Institution. He embodies the spirit of invention, innovation and entrepreneurship at NYU-Poly and is a leader in connecting NYU’s diverse scholarship, thereby broadening the experience of both students and his colleagues.”

Calling the award “a wonderful honor,” Rappaport said that he was “deeply humbled to be named the recipient of an award that remembers William Sayle, a renowned engineering educator at Georgia Tech who was such a strong advocate for students. I have been blessed to have so many wonderful students and colleagues throughout my career. This recognition by the IEEE only deepens my appreciation for all of them, and for our profession.”

Rappaport’s research has influenced many international wireless-standard bodies. He and his students invented the technology of site-specific radio frequency (RF) channel modeling and design for wireless network deployment -- a technology now used routinely throughout wireless communications. He has more than 100 U.S. or international patents (issued or pending), and has authored, co-authored and co-edited 18 books, including bestsellers on wireless communications and smart antennas.

When it comes to Amateur Radio, Rappaport’s interests include operating CW, contesting, DXing and experimenting with antennas. “Over the past several years, I have been slowly but steadily building a contest-grade station in Southwestern Virginia, at a ridge-top location near Blacksburg, where I taught for 14 years early in my career,” he told the ARRL. “I was licensed at age 14 as WN9QNB, and my love for Amateur Radio -- combined with my early experiences when I was a teenager, teaching the Saturday morning Amateur Radio classes at the Whitewater Valley Amateur Radio Club in Richmond, Indiana -- influenced me to pursue an academic career in wireless communications. Like other hams, I am still fascinated with wireless communications, antennas and propagation.”

Rappaport is the founding director of NYU WIRELESS, a new research center that combines engineering, computer science and medical applications. He previously founded two international research centers in the wireless field, one at Virginia Tech and one at The University of Texas. Rappaport is also co-principal investigator of a collaboration that will significantly accelerate cellular service beyond today’s fourth generation (4G) wireless technologies. He directs a national research center that involves five major universities, the National Science Foundation’s Wireless Internet Center for Advanced Technology (WICAT) at NYU-Poly, where most of the NYU WIRELESS research will be conducted.

“Ted Rappaport is one of the most renowned professors in communications engineering and is widely known from his textbooks, research centers and products,” said IEEE Education Society President Rob Reilly. “Rappaport’s dedication to his students and sponsors, and his commitment to and impact on his colleagues at the university are legendary. He has made a global impact on the education of wireless communication engineers.”

An Outstanding Alumnus of Purdue University, Rappaport holds BS, MS and PhD degrees in Electrical Engineering. In addition to his duties at NYU-Poly, Rappaport is a Professor of Computer Science at New York University's Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences and a Professor of Radiology at the NYU School of Medicine.  -- Thanks to NYU-Poly for the information