It is with deep honor and great pleasure that I am serving in the role of president of the IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society (AP-S) in 2023. Over the course of the months from April to August, we have undertaken several significant initiatives and decisions within the Society.
I am pleased to announce that the reduction of registration fees for student members of AP-S to just US$1 has been formally implemented and is now in effect. We have made substantial investments primarily aimed at benefiting students and early-stage researchers. These investments include the AP-S Fellowship Student Travel Grants, the Undergraduate Summer Research Scholarship, and the C.J. Reddy Travel Grant. The budget for these initiatives and others like them has also been allocated for the year 2024.
The updated Impact Factors (IFs) for our journals, as of the end of 2022, have been released, and the results are truly impressive. Our IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation has achieved an unprecedented IF of 5.7, marking its highest ever. This success is secured by a second position in terms of article downloads among all IEEE periodicals. Equally remarkable achievements have been attained by Antennas and Wireless Propagation Letters and Antennas and Propagation Magazine, raising their IFs to 4.2 and 3.5, respectively. Notably, the Open Journal of Antennas and Propagation achieved its first-ever IF, leaping from 0 to an impressive IF of 4. I extend my gratitude to our current and former editors in chief (EICs), Konstantina Nikita, Steven Gao, Zhongxiang Shen, Francesco Andriulli, Danilo Erricolo, and Christophe Fumeaux, and to Yang Hao, the chair of the Publication Committee, for these outstanding accomplishments. Our collaborative journals with other Societies have also demonstrated strong performance, with IEEE Journal of Electromagnetics, RF and Microwaves in Medicine and Biology [now shared with the Microwave Theory and Technology Society (MTT-S) only] achieving its first IF of 3.26 and IEEE Journal on Multiscale and Multiphysics Computational Techniques [shared with the MTT-S and Electromagnetic Compatibility Society (EMC-S)] achieving an IF of 2.3. In May, the present and former EICs of our journals presented a comprehensive review of the status of our periodicals to the Periodical Review and Advisory Committee (PRAC) in Chicago. This effort yielded extraordinary success, with the PRAC recognizing the impressive results of our journals.
You have likely observed the remarkable enhancements that have been made to our website and social media platforms. We owe a debt of gratitude to Erdem Topsakal, EIC of the electronic communication, and Meryem Murphy, AP-S marketing director, for their exceptional efforts. They undergo continuous updates and revitalization, working synergistically with our EIC’s journals and committee chairs. Their initiatives even include the creation of new videos of interest to our Society. Notably, a new video series titled “Legends of Electromagnetics†has been launched, showcasing videos featuring some of the most prominent scientists within our Society.
A hearty welcome to Rachel Moore, who has assumed the role of the new administrative manager for our Society. She quickly integrated into our structure, providing support to the president, president-elect, secretary, and treasurer in their tasks. Rachel efficiently completed the organization of our AdCom document repository, contributed to the planning of our flagship conference, and lent her assistance to both ongoing and novel initiatives within the Society. Her support has proven to be essential.
Our relationship with sister Societies, including the MTT-S, the EMC-S, and the Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society (GRSS), continues to strengthen. Renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the MTT-S and EMC-S was formally signed by Nuno Carvalho (MTT-S president), Vignesh Rajamani (EMC-S president), and myself in San Diego during the MTT-S AdCom meeting. Additionally, the MoU with the GRSS was signed by Mariko Burgin (GRSS president) and myself in Chicago during the TAB meeting series. We have also renewed the MoU with the Antenna Measurement Techniques Association (AMTA) and signed a new MoU with the Metamorphose Virtual Institute of Metamaterials. The MoU with the European Association on Antennas and Propagation (EurAAP) is in the final stages of completion.
Regarding our joint initiative with MTT, I am pleased to announce the finalization of the first joint MTT-AP Distinguished Lecture program. This initiative witnessed tremendous success, with 13 highly qualified applicants. Following a rigorous selection process by a joint MTT-AP committee, Piero Angeletti, head of the Radio Frequency Payloads and Technology Division at the European Space Agency, ESA-ESTEC, The Netherlands, has been selected as the inaugural joint MTT-AP distinguished lecturer in IEEE history. My congratulations to Piero, and my gratitude to Kwai Man Luk for overseeing the selection process alongside MTT-S colleagues.
I am delighted to confirm the second editions of our new conferences, the Microwave and Antennas and Propagation Conference (MAPCON) and International Microwaves and Antennas Symposium (IMAS), cosponsored by AP-S and MTT-S. MAPCON is scheduled for 11–15 December 2023 in Ahmedabad, India. I have been invited to deliver the inaugural speech and a keynote talk at the event. The second edition of IMAS will be held in Marrakesh in February 2024. I extend my thanks to Yahia Antar, past president, who, alongside MTT-S colleagues, particularly Goutam Chattopadhyay, played a pivotal role in the successful establishment of these new conferences. Building on the success of MAPCOM, several new joint MTT-AP Student Chapters have been established in Region 10, helped by the efficient efforts of Ajay Poddar.
From 1 to 4 May 2023, I had the privilege of attending the IEEE RADIO International Conference organized by Vikass Monebhurrun in Balaclava, Mauritius, Africa. I delivered a keynote presentation at the conference. This event, along with IMAS, has paved the way for the creation of new AP-S Chapters in the Central Africa region. In addition, we have collaboratively devised an “Africa Mission†with our MTT-S colleagues. The primary aim is to establish new joint Chapters and attract fresh members and students, increasing awareness regarding the activities and opportunities presented by our Societies.
The flagship conference of the MTT-S, IMS2023, was held on 11–16 June in San Diego, CA, USA. I was invited by Nuno Carvalho, IEEE MTT-S president, to the MTT-S AdCom meeting on June 11, and I had the opportunity to present the vision of our Society and exchange ideas with the MTT-S governance. I reciprocated the invitation to Nuno during the Portland AdCom meeting, also extending the invitation to Mariko Burgin, president of GRSS. Both presidents delivered excellent presentations, showcasing the visions and cooperative possibilities of our Societies.
The flagship conference in Portland was a resounding success. We are witnessing a return to pre-COVID levels, with 1,435 accepted paper submissions and 1,368 registrants, out of which about 1,200 attended the conference in person. The exceptional organization and management of the event were handled by General Cochairs Jamesina Simpson and Reyhan Baktur. The Technical Program cochairs, Andy Chrysler, Karl Warnick, and Christos Christodoulou, curated an outstanding technical program. The conference provided the backdrop for the successful execution of the AdCom and more than 20 committee meetings within the Society. Of particular significance was the strategic planning meeting as this year marks the review of the Society by the IEEE TAB, a process that occurs every five years. An Ad Hoc committee has been formed to prepare the report, and the preparation is progressing smoothly.
In the coming months, I anticipate extensive travel on behalf of the Society. I have been invited to present the Society and deliver technical keynote speeches at various AP-S-sponsored conferences and workshops, including MARINAFORUM 2023 in Singapore (14–15 August), METAMATERIAL 2023 in Crete (11–15 September), EuMW 2023 in Berlin (18–21 September), ICEAA 2023 in Venice (9–12 September), AMTA 2023 in Seattle (11–13 September), ISAP 2023 in Kuala Lumpur (30 October–2 November), COMCAS in Tel Aviv (6–9 November), CAMA 2023 in Genova (15–17 November), and MAPCON in Ahmedabad (11–14 December). Additionally, I am planning to participate in the meeting series in Washington, D.C. on 17–18 November. Here’s to hoping for a successful and rewarding journey ahead.
Finally, I extend my gratitude to my predecessor, Gianluca Lazzi, who is currently overseeing the ballot for the new AdCom members and president-elect for 2024, and to my successor, Branislav Notaros, for their consistent and invaluable support. I also wish to extend a heartfelt thank you to the 24 committee chairs and the 270 volunteers serving across various committees. Their continuous and remarkable efforts are instrumental in driving the success of our Society.
Best Regards.
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MAP.2023.3305854
