President’s Message

Time flies fast, we are already in the second quarter of 2026. I am happy to report that our Society is advancing forward with many productive activities for the benefit of our members. As per the Society Constitution, “The Society shall be managed by an Administrative Committee (hereinafter called the AdCom) of members of the Society. The committee composition shall be as follows: the presiding President, the President-Elect, twelve AdCom members elected by the membership at large, and the four most junior past Presidents. There may also be ex officio members as prescribed in the Bylaws (Section 4.2).” Section 4.2 of our Bylaws stipulates that “the Vice Presidents, Secretary, Treasurer, Director of Intersociety Collaboration, Honorary Life Members and Honorary Members of the AdCom, the Editors-in-Chief of the Society’s publications exclusively sponsored by IEEE AP-S, and all Chairs of standing committees of the AdCom shall serve as ex-officio members of the AdCom where the above mentioned are not otherwise AdCom members. The rights and privileges of regular and ex-officio members shall be identical except that no ex-officio member may vote in AdCom meetings. The President, with the advice and approval of the AdCom, may appoint additional ex-officio members.” The first of the 2026 AdCom meetings was held in Natal, Brazil, during 21–22 February 2026, during the weekend before the second IEEE Latin American Conference on Antennas and Propagation (LACAP). The meeting was held in hybrid mode to allow those who could not travel to participate in AdCom deliberations. I am grateful to all members of the AdCom for their active participation and productive discussions to chart out Society activities that are beneficial to the members (Figure 1).

The LACAP conference series, starting with LACAP 2024, in Columbia, and this year, in Brazil, provides a great forum for researchers in IEEE Region 9 to present their research as well as encourage students to participate and learn from experts. It is not a surprise that due to this activity, AP-S membership doubled in Region 9 compared to what it was before the LACAP series. My heartfelt thanks go to Prof. Alexandre Jean René Serres and Prof. Antônio Campos, general chairs of LACAP 2026, and congratulations on a very successful conference (Figure 3). LACAP 2028 is planned for Argentina.

As I mentioned my April message, one of the “perks” of being president is the opportunity to attend conferences that are sponsored by the AP-S to promote membership and Society activities. During March, I attended IEEE SoutheastCon, in Huntsville, AL, USA. This is the flagship conference of Region 3, with attendees from various universities participating in hardware and software competitions. This conference gave me an opportunity to interact with many undergraduate students who are interested in the research being done in the field of antennas and propagation and plan to become AP-S members (Figure 4).

Another great opportunity for me was to attend the 2026 IEEE International Workshop on Antenna Technology (iWAT), in Liverpool, U.K., in March (Figure 5). In its 22^nd year, this workshop focuses on small antennas and the application of advanced and artificial materials in antenna design, and it is sponsored by our Society. Congratulations to the general chair, Prof. Yi Huang, for a successful workshop that included talks by leading experts as well as poster sessions by students. During this trip, I also had an opportunity to visit the University of Glasgow, at the invitation of Prof. Qammer Abbasi, and enjoy discussions with students. I am inspired by their enthusiasm for research in the field of antennas and propagation.

24 March 2026 became a memorable day for me personally, visiting the resting place of James Clerk Maxwell, in Parton, U.K (Figure 6). Maxwell’s equations for electromagnetism have been called the “second great unification in physics,” after the first one realized by Isaac Newton. A memorial plaque that was unveiled in 1989 stands on a green in front of the parish church, beside the Parton war memorial. Thanks to Prof. Abbasi and Prof. Hasan Abbas, who made this possible for me.

Another great opportunity for me was to attend the 2026 IEEE Texas Symposium on Wireless and Microwave Circuits and Systems (MWCS), in Waco, TX, USA, during 15–16 April, and promote AP-S membership to the students and young professionals attending the conference. I am grateful to Prof. Ifana Mahbub and her students, who supported the AP-S booth and actively promoted the value of AP-S membership to attendees, especially students (Figure 7).

As I write this message for the June issue, I am at the 20^th edition of the European Conference on Antennas and Propagation (EuCAP), taking place between 19 and 24 April in Dublin, Ireland. EuCAP is the flagship conference of the European Association on Antennas and Propagation (EurAAP). The AP-S and EurAAP have strong relationships promoting research and advancement of technology in the field of antennas and propagation. The AP-S was proud to be the technical cosponsor of EuCAP 2026.

Every year, the AP-S celebrates outstanding individuals whose work has made a lasting impact on electromagnetics, antennas, and microwave technologies. These leaders and innovators inspire the next generation of engineers, advance technology, and contribute to society in meaningful ways. I would like to congratulate all the 2026 AP-S award recipients (Figure 8).

• 2026 IEEE Electromagnetics Award: Prof. John Volakis, “for contributions to computational electromagnetics and antenna technologies”
• 2026 Distinguished Achievement Award: Prof. Susan Hagness, “for pioneering innovations in microwave diagnostics, imaging, and therapeutic technologies”
• 2026 Chen-To Tai Distinguished Educator Award: Prof. Fernando Teixeira, “for inspiring future careers in electromagnetics through teaching, research, and mentorship”
• 2026 John Kraus Antenna Award: Prof. Hao Xin, “for pioneering 3D-printed Luneburg lens antennas and radar architectures”
• 2026 Lot Shafai Mid-Career Distinguished Achievement Award: Dr. Sema Dumanli, “for advancing wireless in-body molecular sensing and promoting equitable access to healthcare”
• 2026 Harrington–Mittra Award in Computational Electromagnetics: Prof. Giuseppe Vecchi, “for innovations in integral equation methods and new computational applications”
• 2026 Donald G. Dudley Jr. Undergraduate Teaching Award: Dr. Haihan Sun, “for impactful teaching and mentorship of undergraduate students in electromagnetics”
• 2026 Distinguished Industry Leader Award: Dr. Diego Caratelli, “for leadership in advancing and commercializing MIMO antenna technologies”
• 2026 Industrial Innovation Award: Dr. Aycan Erentok, “for pioneering miniaturized antennas for mobile, wearable, and electric vehicle applications”
• 2026 Standards Development Award: Michael H. Francis, “for leadership and contributions to standardization within IEEE AP-S.”

My heartfelt thanks go to the Award Committee Chair Prof. Gianluca Lazzi and his committee for their hard work selecting the best of the AP-S for these awards.

I also take this opportunity to congratulate Dr. Muhammad Zubair, the 2026 AP-S Young Professional of the Year awardee.

I consider myself fortunate and proud to be serving the AP-S as we advance forward with dedicated volunteers contributing to the growth of our members. The AP-S is one of the fastest-growing Societies of IEEE, with a great number of awards, scholarships, travel grants, and conferences as well as high-impact programs, such as Distinguished Lecturers and Young Professional Ambassadors. I am looking forward to more interactions with members across the world as we move forward in the second half of the year

C. J. Reddy
2026 President, IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society

President's Messages published in the IEEE AP Magazine:

June 2026 | April 2026 | February 2026