Ulukus Delivers UMD Distinguished Scholar-Teacher Lecture

2016-2017 Distinguished Scholar-Teacher, Professor Sennur Ulukus (ECE/ISR) presented a talk titled “The Wireless Revolution” at The University of Maryland’s Distinguished Scholar-Teacher Lecture Series on December 2, 2016. The event was co-sponsored by the Booz Allen Hamilton’s Distinguished Colloquium Series in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the IEEE Signal Processing Society.

Prof. Ulukus’s talk covered research advances in wireless communications in the last 20+ years, intertwined with her own research in the field and personal journey. She noted that Wireless began with cellular voice communications in the 80s and 90s, evolved into data communications via email and video in 2000s, and has permeated all aspects of our daily lives via smart phones and internet of things applications such as wearable health and wellness devices, smart home and connected vehicle applications.

Prior to joining UMD, Ulukus was a Senior Technical Staff Member at AT&T Labs-Research. She received her Ph.D. degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Wireless Information Network Laboratory (WINLAB) at Rutgers University, and B.S. and M.S. degrees in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Bilkent University. Her research interests are in wireless communications, information theory, signal processing, networking, information theoretic physical layer security, and energy harvesting communications.

Prof. Ulukus is a fellow of the IEEE. She received the 2003 IEEE Marconi Prize Paper Award in Wireless Communications, an 2005 NSF CAREER Award, the 2010-2011 ISR Outstanding Systems Engineering Faculty Award, and the 2012 ECE George Corcoran Education Award.

Prof. Ulukus is on the Editorial Board of the IEEE Transactions on Green Communications and Networking (2016– ). She was an Editor for the IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications – Series on Green Communications and Networking (2015-2016), IEEE Transactions on Information Theory (2007-2010), and IEEE Transactions on Communications (2003-2007). She was a Guest Editor for the IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications (2015 and 2008), Journal of Communications and Networks (2012), and IEEE Transactions on Information Theory (2011). She is a general TPC co-chair of 2017 IEEE ISIT, 2016 IEEE Globecom, 2014 IEEE PIMRC, and 2011 IEEE CTW. She was a symposium/track TPC co-chair of the Communication Theory Symposium at 2014 IEEE Globecom, Energy Harvesting and Green Wireless Communications Symposium at 2013 GlobalSIP, Communication Theory Symposium at 2013 IEEE ICC, Physical-Layer Security Workshop at 2011 IEEE Globecom, Physical-Layer Security Workshop at 2011 IEEE ICC, Wireless Communications Symposium at 2010 IEEE ICC, Medium Access Control Track at 2008 IEEE WCNC, and Communication Theory Symposium at 2007 IEEE Globecom.

The Distinguished Scholar-Teacher program recognizes faculty members who have demonstrated outstanding scholarly achievement along with equally outstanding accomplishments as teachers. Ulukus is one of only four Maryland professors to receive the honor this year. Nominees for the award are selected by their peers; the winners are chosen by a panel of former Distinguished Scholar-Teachers. The Distinguished Scholar-Teacher Program is sponsored by the Office of Academic Affairs and administered by the Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs.

Published December 7, 2016