Welcome to WAMI - the Center for Wireless and Microwave Information Systems.
Research and discovery in the RF/microwave/communications areas is the primary focus of the faculty and students in the WAMI Center. To enable this research, the Center maintains state of the art facilities for microwave/mm-wave characterization, and together with the USF Nanotechnology Research and Education Center (NREC) supports a wide range of micro- and nano-fabrication capabilities. A broad spectrum of measurement instrumentation is also available for research in the communications area. The Center supports a comprehensive graduate curriculum that combines fundamental theory with many opportunities for hands-on, real-world engineering experience.
Recent News & Awards
- We are hosting USF WAMI IEEE Carreer Night with Industry! Come join us in this exciting event!! Click here to learn more!
- Watch two alumni discuss their experience within the WAMI labs. Click here for the video!
- We are hosting WAMI Forum 2021!Come join us in this exciting event!! Click here to learn more!
- The Center for Wireless and Microwave Information Systems (WAMI Center) started at the University of South Florida (USF) in 1997. For over 24 years, the WAMI Center has pursued excellence in research and education across many areas of wireless engineering, with a dual focus on advanced hardware technologies and wireless communications systems. The fields of application are diverse and include collaborators in marine science, pharmacy and medicine, transportation, materials science, physics, computer science, mechanical engineering, as well as chemical and biomedical engineering. Among its notable achievements, the Center has:
- Produced over 550 refereed publications and 85 U.S. patents in the past 15 years (since 2008 report); more importantly, several patents have been licensed by major companies in the telecommunications field Supported approximately 40 Ph.D. and M.S. students per year on a continuing basis; many of these graduates are employed at leading wireless companies and defense contractors Created two internationally-recognized instructional laboratories with grant supports from the National Science Foundation (NSF)
- Established the IEEE Wireless and Microwave Technology Conference (WAMICON) since 1999, an international event hosted in Florida each year that averages ~150 attendees and more than 25 industry exhibitors (https://www.ieeewamicon.org/history)
- Generated >$30M in research expenditures in the past 15 years (since 2008 report period) Spun-out Modelithics Inc., the world’s leading provider of microwave CAD models and Modelithics just reached the milestone of 20 Years in establishment on March 1st, 2021
- Helped to secure a $250K donation from Mini-Circuits to establish the Design for X Laboratory for the USF College of Engineering, which is now widely utilized by students across all departments within the USF College of Engineering Secured the largest in-kind donation in the history of the University of South Florida thanks to WAMI center’s over 25-year partnership with Keysight Technologies, Inc., with a Lab Naming Ceremony on January 22, 2016. The donation of Advanced Design System (or ADS software) is the largest in-kind donation ever in the history of the University. In honor of the donation, the instructional lab of Center for Wireless and Microwave Information Systems (WAMI Center) is being renamed the Keysight Technologies Wireless Laboratory
- The former WAMI Center Director and EE Department Chair Dr. Tom Weller has moved to Oregon State University in Fall 2018. While this is a loss for USF and gain for Oregon State University, the USF WAMI Center remains strong and we have many exciting developments to share with our external advisory board (EAB) affiliates during our next semi-annual EAB meetings. On related news, starting the same semester, Dr. Larry Dunleavy has resumed full-time faculty responsibilities at USF in January 2019. He has been working closely with Dr. Jing Wang to serve as Co-Directors of the WAMI Center. Dr. Dunleavy has been focusing on continuous improvement of WAMI related curriculum and laboratory activities as well as revitalizing WAMI’s external affiliates outreach activities, an example of which is helping orchestrate the highly successful student-led/student-focused USF WAMI Student Forum now in its third year. The WAMI Student Forum has a dual goal of exciting students about career possibilities in the wireless and microwave/millimeter-wave field and exciting our external affiliates about the quality and depth of USFs research and teaching, inviting them into a partnership aimed at student development and success. )
- Dr. Jing Wang, the Co-Director of the WAMI Center, has been promoted to the Agere Systems Endowed Chair since August 7th, 2020, which is a highly prestigious endowed chair professor position at USF College of Engineering. The endowment fund provides extra operating resources to support research activities for the purpose of boosting the success of the Center for Wireless and Microwave Information Systems (WAMI). In 2021, Dr. Wang was elected as a senior member of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) in recognition to his pioneering contributions to the frontiers of functional materials, sensors and wireless technologies. He holds 11 U.S. patents and several provisional patents. After joining USF WAMI center in 2006, Dr. Wang has mentored and graduated 17 doctoral students, who have joined leading RF and semiconductor industries, national labs and universities. https://www.usf.edu/research-innovation/news/2021/nai-sr-members.aspx
- Dr. Gokhan Mumcu has been promoted to Full Professor rank, starting on August 2021. Since joining USF in 2009, Dr. Mumcu graduated 10 Ph.D. students, who have joined to leading RF and semiconductor industries. He is a winner of NSF's prestigious CAREER award. His students have received conference paper competition awards and travel awards from IEEE International Antennas and Propagation Symposium, most recent ones are in 2019 and 2020, respectively.
- We are excited to report that the USF College of Engineering has accepted our proposal for opening two new tenured/tenure-track faculty positions on the following research topics that are perfectly aligned with WAMI Center’s strategic plan and long-term missions: 1) radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs) and systems, analog and mixed-signal RFIC designs and/or RF interfaces in advanced silicon and related emerging technologies, specifically in the areas of CMOS and SiGe RFIC design with targeted applications in millimeter-wave and/or terahertz (THz) wireless communications; 2) next-generation wireless communication and/or radar systems, with a particular focus on the innovative hardware/software implementation and emerging technology in machine learning and artificial intelligence, quantum photonics for communications, sensing, and computing. The positions are expected to commence August 2022. After joining USF EE Department, these chosen faculty candidates are anticipated to become active members of the WAMI Center that has been recognized for its mission to offer integrated research and education programs excelling in wireless and microwave technology. https://www.higheredjobs.com/faculty/details.cfm?JobCode=177622017
- Thanks to a timely “USF Tech Fees” technology improvement grant, the USF WAMI faculty /student team was able to respond quickly to the need to provide remote laboratory learning experiences for students that could not complete laboratory assignments in the traditional on-campus in-lab fashion due to COVID restrictions these past few semesters. The grant allowed for setting up new laptops, camera equipment and an “MS Hub” (similar to a rolling smart board/electronic white board) system. Related to this we created a complete set of alternative video lab experiences to be used when no students were allowed to come to campus (and as a backup resource for make-up labs etc.). Also we now have what we call the “Remote live lab partner” option to team up on-campus and off-campus students for lab completion.
- Mini-Circuits continues to be a strong supporter of the WAMI Center and WAMI teaching laboratory by contributing microwave components. Mini-Circuits also began sponsoring some of its young engineers to enroll in the USF Graduate Certificate in Wireless Engineer as fully on-line students. Remote participation in hands-on laboratory assignments in USF’s Wireless Circuits and Systems Design Class (“WAMI Class”) and RF & MW Measurements class has been provide by creating satellite “cloned” versions of USF’s WAMI Teaching lab’s bench setups and supplementing with aforementioned remote live lab partner and video lab experience resources.