Leo Kempel
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University Distinguished Professor, Dennis P. Nyquist Endowed Professor in Electromagnetics
Biography
Leo C. Kempel, the Dennis P. Nyquist Endowed Professor of Electromagnetics, has been a faculty member in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering since 1998. He served as the ninth dean of the Michigan State University College of Engineering from 2014 to 2024, acting dean and associate dean for research from 2008 to 2013, associate dean for special initiatives from 2006 to 2008, and the inaugural director of the MSU High Performance Computing Center from 2004 to 2006.
His research interests include conformal antennas, engineered materials for microwave applications, and computational electromagnetics. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Applied Computational Electromagnetics Society, and the Engineering Society of Detroit. He is a member of Tau Beta Pi, Eta Kappa Nu, and Commission B of the International Scientific Radio Union (URSI). He is a member of the Department of Air Force Scientific Advisory Board.
Kempel pursued electrical engineering and received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Cincinnati in 1989, a master’s degree from the University of Michigan in 1990, and a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in 1994.
Education
- Ph.D., Electrical Engineering, University of Michigan 1994
- M.S., Electrical Engineering, University of Michigan 1990
- B.S., Electrical Engineering, University of Cincinnati 1989
Research Interests
- Conformal Antennas
- Engineered Materials for Microwave Applications
- Computational Electromagnetics
Research Lab
Electromagnetics Research Group (EMRG)ResearchGate
Selected Publications
- R.T. Fox, V. Wani, K.E. Howard, A. Bogle, and L. Kempel, "Conductive polymer composite materials and their utility on electromagnetic shielding applications," J. Applied Polymer Science, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/app.27317, 13 Nov. 2007.
- A.L. Higginbotham, J.J. Stephenson, R.J. Smith, D.S. Killips, L.C. Kempel, and J.M. Tour, "Tunable permittivity of polymer composites through incremental blending of raw and functionalized single-wall carbon nanotubes," J. Phys. Chem., http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/jp070554p, 2007.
- S.M. Cossmann, E.J. Rothwell, and L.C. Kempel, "Transient reflection of TM-polarized plane-waves from a Lorentz medium half-space," J. Opt. Soc. Am. A, 24, pp. 882-887, Mar. 2007.
MSU Scholar
Awards
- Fellow, Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers
- Fellow, Applied Computational Electromagnetics Society
- MSU Teacher Scholar Award
- NSF CAREER Award
News
Kempel family creates first-generation endowed scholarship
University Distinguished Professor Leo Kempel knows the ins and outs of getting a college education, whether it is from the viewpoint of a student, faculty member, or administrator.
900+ Spartan Engineering students to graduate
Michigan State University will host advanced degree and undergraduate commencement ceremonies for more than 900 College of Engineering graduates this weekend.
Global Alliance for Rapid Diagnostics Forum to feature Dean Leo Kempel
The MSU College of Engineering and university’s Department of Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering will host an online forum in March aimed to find solutions for underserved communities across the world.
College welcomes academic and instructional experts
The Michigan State University College of Engineering welcomed 19 academic and instructional experts in 2023. The college currently has 238 tenure system faculty.
Celebrating excellence in service and distinguished contributions
The Michigan State University College of Engineering recognized 18 top faculty and staff members during the 32nd Annual Engineering Awards at the University Club on March 21, 2022. The honors are considered among the college's most prestigious distinctions for excellence in service and contributions.
Withrow and Engineering Awards 2022
The Michigan State University College of Engineering will recognize 18 top faculty and staff members for excellence in service and distinguished contributions during the 32nd Annual Engineering Awards. The honors are considered among the college's most prestigious distinctions and will be presented on Monday, March 21, at 5:30 p.m. at the University Club.
New BME roles for Adam Alessio and Chris Contag
Adam Alessio will lead the Michigan State University Department of Biomedical Engineering as interim chair and former BME Chair Christopher Contag will now focus his attention on growth strategies in the College of Engineering, Dean Leo Kempel has announced.
Withrow Awards 2021
Eighteen top faculty and staff members of the Michigan State University College of Engineering are being recognized in 2021 for excellence in service and distinguished contributions during the 31st Annual Engineering Awards.
A statement on the events of 1/6/21
After this week's events in Washington, D.C., the leadership of the College of Engineering wanted to reach out to our community to remind everyone about the culture and climate necessary in our College to ensure we accomplish our goal of engineering a healthier, safer, and more sustainable world.
Congratulations Graduating Spartan Engineers
Congratulations Graduating Spartan Engineers! You made it! While in-person celebrations are cancelled this spring, the College of Engineering is recognizing the accomplishments of its 1,000 undergraduate, master's and PhD graduates and are sharing special words and messages at: Virtual Engineering Commencement.
2020 Withrow Awards
The celebration may be remote, but the top faculty and staff awards in the MSU College of Engineering in 2020 stand as a testament to excellence and distinguished contributions even in the age of the novel coronavirus.
2020 Teaching Excellence Awards
Each year, the Spartan Engineering community at Michigan State University gathers for a large luncheon to honor demonstrated excellence and distinguished contributions by faculty and staff members. Students nominate their favorite teachers, offering phrases like "dedicated educator" and "always willing to work with students."
Engineering formalizes leadership roles in CEE and UGS
Two leaders in the College of Engineering are both assuming full-time roles for the interim positions they have held since February. Engineering Dean Leo Kempel announced that Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Studies (UGS) Amanda Idema will assume responsibility for Undergraduate Studies within the Dean's office and Neeraj Buch, interim chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), has been named CEE chair.
Spring Commencement 2019
Michigan State University will host commencement ceremonies for more than 890 graduates of the College of Engineering this weekend.
2019 Withrow Awards
The Michigan State University College of Engineering recognized demonstrated excellence and distinguished contributions during the 29th Annual Engineering Awards Luncheon in the Kellogg Center on Friday, March 15. Fifteen faculty and staff members received some of the college's most prestigious awards.
January 2019 Media Report
The MSUMobility exhibit at the 2019 North American International Auto Show AutoMobili-D demonstrated how MSU is transforming its 5,200-acre campus into a connected ecosystem for new mobility solutions. MSU and the University of Michigan shared a booth in Detroit's Cobo Center from Jan. 14-17.
October 2018 Media Report
The race is on to create cheap materials to store energy for the U.S power grid, said Mechanical Engineering Department Chair James Klausner. MSU is sharing a $2 million award from the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E).
Spring 2018 Commencement
Michigan State University will host commencement ceremonies for more than 820 graduates of the College of Engineering this weekend.
