RICHARDSON, Texas (Sept. 21, 2005) — An electrical engineering professor at The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), in collaboration with and a researcher from Princeton University, has been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to investigate the value of algebraic signal structures in the cross–layer design of multiple–antenna wireless communication systems.
Dr. Naofal Al–Dhahir, an associate professor in UTD’s Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science will work with Dr. Robert Calderbank, who holds a joint appointment as a professor with Princeton’s departments of mathematics and electrical engineering, to demonstrate how algebraic signal structures make it possible to integrate different multiple–antenna system functions efficiently at an end–to–end complexity equal to that of the single–antenna systems used today.
  From left: Dr. Naofal Al–Dhahir, an associate professor in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, and Dr. Robert Calderbank, a joint appointment professor for Princeton’s departments of mathematics and electrical engineering, will demonstrate how algebraic signal structures allow for the integration of multiple–antenna system functions. |
More than 100 proposals were submitted to the NSF program solicitation — called Innovations at the Interface with the Sciences and Engineering — and only 10 percent were funded, including Al–Dhahir’s and Calderbank’s. The one–time award comes from the NSF’s Division of Mathematical Sciences and is worth more than $130,000.
“An important aspect of this project is to measure the value of engineering innovations at the physical layer using metrics important to the user, such as output, latency and cost,” Al–Dhahir said. “Our emphasis on expressing the value of algebraic structure to emerging broadband wireless standards creates a common language for discussions with industry partners. More importantly, familiarity with these standards will be an advantage to our graduate students as they apply for internships, and we expect they will be able to jump into cutting–edge projects and make immediate contributions to the high–tech community.”
Al-Dhahir joined UTD in the fall of 2003. He earned a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Stanford University. Prior to joining UTD, he worked at General Electric Research and Development Center in New York and AT&T Labs-Research in New Jersey.
About UTD
The University of Texas at Dallas, located at the convergence of Richardson, Plano and Dallas in the heart of the complex of major multinational technology corporations known as the Telecom Corridor®, enrolls more than 14,500 students. The school’s freshman class traditionally stands at the forefront of Texas state universities in terms of average SAT scores. The university offers a broad assortment of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs. For additional information about UTD, please visit the university’s website at www.utdallas.edu.