Signals Through Time: The Story of Wireless Innovation
The Washington and Northern Virginia Sections are proud to host Dr. Sastry Kompella's seminar, Signals Through Time: The Story of Wireless Innovation on December 20th, 2025 at the College Park Airport Operations Center.
Wireless communications has transformed the arc of modern civilization-from early human signaling systems such as smoke signals and optical beacons, to the first electromagnetic transmissions that crossed a room, and ultimately to the global, intelligent, software-defined networks that now knit together billions of devices across land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace. This lecture traces the remarkable technological, scientific, and societal journey of wireless systems over the past 130 years, highlighting the enduring ideas that shaped the field and the disruptive breakthroughs that repeatedly redefined it.
We begin with the foundational experiments of Hertz, Marconi, and Tesla, exploring how early insights into electromagnetic wave propagation evolved into structured communication theory and engineering practice. The talk then follows the maturation of radio during the World Wars; the rise of information theory, digital modulation, and cellular architectures; and the advent of spread spectrum, MIMO, OFDM, and software-defined radios that enabled the exponential growth of mobile systems. The narrative continues through the emergence of 4G and 5G as complex cyber-physical platforms that blend networking, cloud computing, and AI/ML—ushering in a transition from communication-centric systems to multi-purpose platforms that integrate sensing, computing, and decision-making.
By revisiting the past, understanding the present, and imagining the future, this lecture aims to provide a cohesive perspective on how wireless communications became one of the most transformative technologies of our time-and the opportunities for new breakthroughs to emerge.
In addition to the seminar on the history of communication, the Washington and Northern Virginia sections will use this opportunity to present awards to their section volunteers and introduce their 2026 AdCom officers. Dinner will be provided to attendees prior to the lecture.
Date and Time
Location
Hosts
Registration
-
Add Event to Calendar
Loading virtual attendance info...
- 1909 Corporal Frank Scott Dr
- College Park, Maryland
- United States 20740
- Building: College Park Airport Operations Building
- Room Number: 2nd Floor
- Click here for Map
- Starts 25 November 2025 05:00 AM UTC
- Ends 21 December 2025 12:00 AM UTC
- 7 in-person spaces left!
- Admission fee ?
Speakers
Sastry Kompella of Nexcepta Inc
Biography:
Dr. Sastry Kompella (SM’12, F’24) earned his Ph.D. in computer engineering from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 2006. Currently, he serves as the CEO of Nexcepta, Inc., an advanced R&D company providing cutting-edge technical solutions and mission-critical capabilities to the Federal Government. Prior to this role, he held the position of Section Head for the Wireless Network Research Section within the Information Technology Division at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, DC, USA. He has authored over 220 (six award winning) publications, 14 NRL Reports, one patent, one book, and 5 book chapters. He currently serves as an associate editor for IEEE/ACM Transactions on Networking. His research interests encompass various aspects of wireless networks, including cognitive radio, dynamic spectrum access, and age of information.
Email:
Agenda
6:00 - 7:00 PM Introductions, Awards, and Dinner
7:00 - 8:30 PM Signals Through Time: The Story of Wireless Innovation
8:30 - 9:00 PM Concluding Remarks and Refreshments