NYU-Poly Engineering Professor to Receive International Education Award

Polytechnic Institute of New York University (NYU-Poly) and NYU Professor Theodore (Ted) S. Rappaport, a leading researcher in wireless communication engineering, has been chosen the 2012 recipient of the William E. Sayle Award for Achievement in Education 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, a world-class educator, was chosen for his exceptional technical advancements and service in computer science and engineering education and accreditation. 

“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.”

“This is truly a wonderful honor, and I am 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,” said Rappaport, who is a professor in NYU-Poly’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering as well at NYU’s Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences and in the Department of Radiology at NYU Langone Medical Center.. “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 over 100 U.S. or international patents issued or pending and has authored, co-authored, and co-edited 18 books, including the world’s bestselling books on wireless communications and smart antennas.

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, at Virginia Tech and The University of Texas at Austin. He 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.

An Outstanding Alumnus of Purdue University, Professor Rappaport holds BS, MS and PhD degrees in electrical engineering. 

The William E. Sayle award, funded by the IEEE Education Society, will be presented to Rappaport at IEEE’s Frontiers in Education Conference in Seattle, Washington, on October 4, 2012. 

"Ted Rappaport is one of the most renowned professors in communications engineering and is widely known from his textbooks, research centers and products,” said Rob Reilly, president of the IEEE Education Society. “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.”