SpectrumX announces initial External Advisory Board members and hosts first meeting

By Christina Clark

On May 18, 2022, SpectrumX held its first  External Advisory Board (EAB) meeting with the center leadership team at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana.

The first U.S.National Science Foundation (NSF) Spectrum Innovation Center, SpectrumX is the world’s largest academic hub where all stakeholders can innovate, collaborate, and contribute to maximizing social welfare of the precious radio spectrum. The center is composed of 41 founding researchers and staff from 27 universities, and is partnered with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), an NSF Major Facility. Founded in September 2021 with a 5-year, $25M grant from NSF, SpectrumX’s mission is to pursue interdisciplinary research, education and workforce development, collaboration, and policy outreach.

The EAB is composed of a balanced group of industry, government, and academic thought leaders, and includes former executives from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), the two main spectrum regulatory agencies in the United States. Current NSF, FCC, and NTIA staff will also participate in the EAB, each with at least one representative serving as an observer. Members of the EAB advance the Center’s mission by providing guidance on SpectrumX activities and helping SpectrumX build strategic relationships and partnerships.

The initial members of the EAB include:

Dennis Roberson Chair
President, CEO, Roberson and Associates
Ruth Milkman
Vice Chair Partner, Quadra Partners
Stephanie Adams Dean of Engineering and Computer Science, University of Texas at Dallas
Susan Avery
Principal, Avery Consulting
Professor Emerita, University of Colorado President Emerita, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Julius Knapp
Retired, Former Chair of Office of Engineering and Technology, Federal Communications Commission
Janice Obuchowski President, CEO, Freedom Technologies
Former Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information, Dept. of Commerce (NTIA)
Charla Rath Co-Chair Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee (CSMAC) Retired, Verizon
Rick Reaser
Independent Consultant
William Webb
CTO, Access Partnership
Jonas Zmuidzinas Director, CalTech Observatories

“We are extremely fortunate to be able to recruit this caliber of EAB members to SpectrumX, and to host their first meeting on our campus. Their feedback on our progress to date and their assistance in growing our research, educational, and policy impact will be invaluable to our success,” said Nick Laneman, the Center’s Founding Director,  Co-Director of the Wireless Institute in the College of Engineering, and professor of Electrical Engineering at Notre Dame.

The first EAB meeting is a significant milestone in the work of SpectrumX and its development into a national resource.  The Center leadership team will use the feedback and guidance from the EAB to prepare for the next center meeting and prioritize goals and projects for the next year. The center looks to facilitate coordination, collaborate with project partners, broaden participation in spectrum sciences, and inform policymakers. 

About SpectrumX

SpectrumX is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) as part of its Spectrum Innovation Initiative, under grant number AST 21-32700. Its participating research institutions include the University at Albany, Agnes Scott College, Clemson University, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Olin College of Engineering, MIT Haystack Observatory, Morehouse College, Morgan State University, New Mexico Tech, Northwestern University, Norfolk State University, New York University, University of Pittsburgh, Spelman College, Stanford University, Texas Tech University, University of California-Santa Cruz, University of California-Berkeley, University of California-Los Angeles, University of Colorado-Boulder, University of Notre Dame, University of the Virgin Islands, South Carolina State University, University of Puerto Rico – Mayagüez Campus, University of Texas at San Antonio, University of Virginia, the University of the West Indies, Virginia Diodes, Inc., and the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO).

To learn more about SpectrumX, please visit spectrumx.org.

Contact:

Christina Clark, Research Communications Specialist

SpectrumX / Notre Dame Research / University of Notre Dame

cclark26@nd.edu / 574.631.2665

spectrumx.org