Leo Kempel, dean of the Michigan State University College of Engineering, has been named the Dennis P. Nyquist Endowed Professor in Electromagnetics. The endowed faculty position is in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, one of the college's largest academic units.
ECE Department Chairman John Papapolymerou said the Nyquist Endowed Professorship is one of the most prestigious appointments in the college.
"Endowed chairs provide faculty with great flexibility in using both the recognition and funds that come with it to endeavor into non-traditional and groundbreaking educational and research activities," Papapolymerou said. "The funds greatly assist our faculty in their mission to advance and disseminate knowledge and technology in creating a better world."
Kempel, the ninth dean of the MSU College of Engineering, was appointed dean in 2014. He previously served as acting dean and was associate dean for research from 2008 to 2013. He leads 10 academic programs and has strengthened the college's innovation in the artificial intelligence, health science, and advanced manufacturing.
Kempel said an appointment associated with Dennis Nyquist is very special to him.
"Dennis was my mentor and friend in the first decade or so that I was here at MSU," Kempel said. "My respect for him as a scholar cannot be overstated. Without Dennis' mentoring, I don't think I could be as effective as an instructor or researcher."
Kempel said he benefited from a culture of helping new faculty get started.
"I want to spend more time helping others in the department launch their research and teaching careers, this honor will help me do so," Kempel noted.
His research interests include conformal antennas, engineered materials for microwave applications, and computational electromagnetics. He is a Fellow of the 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 serves on the Department of Air Force Scientific Advisory Board.
Endowed professorship and chair positions are the highest level of faculty distinction. The Nyquist Endowed Professor in Electromagnetics was established in 2014. The department held an internal search led by the Herman E. and Ruth J. Koenig Endowed Chair and Professor Kalyanmoy Deb. The Nyquist Professorship most recently was held by Professor Edward Rothwell, until his retirement.
Dennis P. Nyquist (1939-2016) was an award-winning faculty member at MSU from 1966 to 2002. Read more on this University Distinguished Professor here.