Prof. Özlem Özgün of Hacettepe University, Turkey

IEEE AP-S Distinguished Lecturer 2025-2027

Computational Electromagnetics (CEM) is an interdisciplinary field that combines principles from electrical engineering, physics, mathematics, and computer science to simulate and analyze electromagnetic phenomena. It serves as a cornerstone for the design and optimization of practical systems such as antennas, microwave circuits, radars, satellites, wireless communication devices, and emerging applications in nanophotonics and biomedical imaging. The increasing complexity of modern systems—featuring irregular geometries, inhomogeneous media, and multiscale behaviors—necessitates robust and efficient modeling and simulation techniques.

Over the past decades, CEM has evolved to address challenges associated with electrically large structures, multiphysics environments, and high-frequency regimes. Recent advancements in computing technologies—especially GPUs and domain-specific hardware—have enabled researchers to solve problems with billions of unknowns, while hybrid numerical schemes and parallel implementations ensure scalability and efficiency. Recent trends also include the use of machine learning-based surrogate models, which are trained to approximate the behavior of computationally expensive simulations, enabling faster predictions without compromising accuracy.

This lecture will begin by covering the theoretical foundations and numerical implementations of classical CEM methods, including the Method of Moments (MoM), Finite Element Method (FEM), Finite Difference (FD), and Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) method. Emphasis will be placed on their mathematical formulation, discretization strategies, and computational aspects. In the second part, the focus will shift to advanced techniques used to tackle contemporary challenges in CEM, such as hybrid methods, domain decomposition, and large-scale parallel solvers. Current trends that are reshaping the future of the field—such as the integration of data-driven machine learning approaches into electromagnetic modeling workflows—will be briefly highlighted. Real-world case studies will be presented to illustrate the practical applications of these methods in the simulation of electromagnetic radiation and scattering problems.

Biography:

Özlem Özgün is currently a Full Professor in the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering and Vice Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey. She received her B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees from Bilkent University and her Ph.D. from Middle East Technical University (METU), all in Electrical and Electronics Engineering. She was a postdoctoral researcher at Penn State University, US; and previously worked at TÜBİTAK, Aselsan, METU, and TED University in Turkey.

Her research focuses on computational electromagnetics and radiowave propagation, including numerical methods, domain decomposition, transformation electromagnetics, and stochastic electromagnetic problems. She has authored over 130 refereed publications, including a book on finite element programming in electromagnetics (CRC Press, 2018).

Dr. Özgün is a Senior Member of IEEE and URSI and a past chair of the URSI Turkey steering committee. Her awards include the METU Best Ph.D. Thesis Award (2007), the Felsen Fund Excellence in Electromagnetics Award (2009), and the IEEE AP-S Outstanding Reviewer Award (2023-2024). She was recognized among the world's top 2% most influential scientists (Stanford University & Elsevier, 2023–2024); and received the Hacettepe University 2024 Science Award.

Prof. Jasmin Grosinger of Graz University of Technology, Austria

IEEE MTT-S Distinguished Microwave Lecturer 2022-2024 

In the talk, we will discuss radio frequency design solutions for wireless sensor and communication nodes, aiming to address sustainability issues arising from the digitalization of the economy and society, particularly through the massive deployment of wireless nodes on both environmental and economic levels. Engineers can apply these design solutions to enhance the ultra-low-power operation of wireless nodes, mitigate the environmental toxicity of batteries, and reduce maintenance costs associated with battery replacement. The discussed solutions offer high integration levels based on system-on-chip and system-in-package concepts in low-cost complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technologies, aiming to limit the costs and carbon footprints of these nodes. We will discuss, in particular, solutions for ultra-low-power wireless communication systems based on high-frequency and ultra-high frequency radio frequency identification (RFID) technologies.

Biography:

Jasmin Grosinger is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Microwave and Photonic Engineering at Graz University of Technology in Austria, where her research focuses on sustainable wireless electronics and radio-frequency systems. From 2023 to 2025, she served as a Visiting Associate Professor at the Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Japan. As a senior member of IEEE, Jasmin has co-authored numerous peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, and invention disclosures. For her PhD work, she received the first prize from the Jubilee Foundation of the Industrial Union of the Austrian Automotive Industry. In 2021, she was honored with the Mind the Gap—Diversity Award from the Graz University of Technology. From 2019 to 2024, she served as Associate Editor for IEEE Microwave and Technology Letters and is currently the inaugural Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Journal on Wireless Power Technologies. Jasmin is an active member of the IEEE Microwave Theory and Technology Society (MTT-S), where she contributes to Technical Committees 25 (Wireless Power Transfer and Energy Conversion) and 26 (RFID, Wireless Sensors, and IoT). Recognized as a Distinguished Microwave Lecturer by MTT-S, she is also an Elected Voting Member of its Administrative Committee, chairing the Meetings and Symposia Committee since 2024.

Prof. Warren du Plessis of University of Pretoria

IEEE AESS Distinguished Lecturer 2025-2026

Cross-eye jamming is an old idea, with two patents covering it being filed in 1958 and almost every electronic warfare (EW) textbook mentioning it.  Despite this long history, no operational system that uses cross-eye jamming has ever been publicly disclosed.  However, the experimental work disclosed by Falk, Neri, and their colleagues has triggered a resurgence of interest in cross-eye jamming since the turn of the century.  This resurgence of interest has been sustained by new theoretical and experimental results that suggest cross-eye jamming is both more capable and easier to implement than previously believed.

The concepts underpinning cross-eye jamming have historically been considered difficult to understand.  This presentation will thus primarily consider explanations and analyses of cross-eye jamming, including both the traditional phase-front analysis and others.  The way theory and techniques from the domains of antennas and microwave systems have been exploited in cross-eye jamming research will be emphasised to illustrate the relevance of these fields to EW concepts such as cross-eye jamming.

Biography:

Warren du Plessis obtained Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Ph.D. degrees in Electronic Engineering from the University of Pretoria in 1998, 2003, and 2010 respectively, winning numerous awards including the prestigious Vice-Chancellor and Principal's Medal.  He is a Professor at the University of Pretoria, where he has established a research group in electronic warfare (EW).  He is an Associate Editor of the IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems and is an IEEE Aerospace and Electronic Systems Society (AESS) Distinguished Lecturer.  He is sole, lead, or co-author of over 80% of his peer-reviewed journal and conference papers, thereby demonstrating his active role in developing and evaluating innovative new concepts.  While his primary research interest is EW, including cross-eye jamming, he has also published on engineering education.  He is a registered Professional Engineer (Pr.Eng.), a Senior Member of the IEEE, a Lifetime Member of the AOC, and a Member of the IET.

Prof. Levent Sevgi of Istanbul Technical University (Emeritus)

IEEE AP-S Distinguished Lecturer Program Committee Chair and Distinguished Lecturer

The role of Electromagnetic (EM) fields in our lives has been increasing. Communication, remote sensing, integrated command/ control/surveillance systems, intelligent transportation systems, medicine, environment, education, marketing, and defense are only a few areas where EM fields have critical importance. We have witnessed the transformation from Engineering Electromagnetics to Electromagnetic Engineering for the last few decades after being surrounded by EM waves everywhere. Among many others, EM engineering deals with broad range of problems from antenna design to EM scattering, indoor–outdoor radiowave propagation to wireless communication, radar systems to integrated surveillance, subsurface imaging to novel materials, EM compatibility to nano-systems, electroacoustic devices to electro-optical systems, etc. The range of the devices we use in our daily life has extended from DC up to Terahertz frequencies. We have had both large-scale (kilometers-wide) and small-scale (nanometers) EM systems. A large portion of these systems are broadband and digital and must operate in close proximity that results in severe EM interference problems. Engineers must take EM issues into account from the earliest possible design stages. This necessitates establishing an intelligent balance between strong mathematical background (theory), engineering experience (practice), and modeling and numerical computations (simulation).

This Distinguished/keynote lecture aims at a broad-brush look at current complex EM problems as well as certain teaching / training challenges that confront wave-oriented EM engineering in the 21st century, in a complex computer and technology-driven world with rapidly shifting societal and technical priorities.

Biography:

Prof. Dr. Levent Sevgi is a Fellow of the IEEE (since 2009) and the recipient of IEEE APS Chen-To Tai Distinguished Educator Award (2021). He was with Istanbul Technical University (1991–1998), TUBITAK-MRC, Information Technologies Research Institute (1999–2000), Weber Research Institute / NY Polytechnic University (1988–1990), Scientific Research Group of Raytheon Systems Canada (1998 – 1999), Center for Defense Studies, ITUV-SAM (1993 –1998 and 2000–2002) and with University of Massachusetts, Lowell (UML) MA/USA as a full-time faculty (2012 – 2013), DOGUS University (2001-2014), Istanbul OKAN (2014 - 2021), and ATLAS (2022-2024) Universities.

He served four years (2020-2023) as an IEEE AP-S Distinguished Lecturer. Since Jan 2024 he has been the chair of the IEEE AP-S DL Committee. He served one-term in the IEEE AP-S AdCom (2013-2015) and one-term and as a member of IEEE AP-S Field Award Committee (2018-2019). He had been the writer/editor of the “Testing ourselves” Column in the IEEE AP Magazine (2007-2021), a member of the IEEE AP-S Education Committee (2006-2021), He also served in several editorial boards (EB) of other prestigious journals / magazines, such as the IEEE AP Magazine (2007-2021), Wiley’s International Journal of RFMiCAE (2002-2018), and the IEEE Access (2017-2019 and 2020 - 2022). He is the founding chair of the EMC TURKIYE International Conferences (www.emcturkiye.org).

He has been involved with complex electromagnetic problems for nearly four decades. His research study has focused on electromagnetic radiation, propagation, scattering and diffraction; RCS prediction and reduction; EMC/EMI modelling, simulation, tests and measurements; multi-sensor integrated wide area surveillance systems; surface wave HF radars; analytical and numerical methods in electromagnetics; FDTD, TLM, FEM, SSPE, and MoM techniques and their applications; bio-electromagnetics. He is also interested in novel approaches in engineering education, teaching electromagnetics via virtual tools. He also teaches popular science lectures such as Science, Technology and Society.

He has published many books / book chapters in English and Turkish, over 180 journal/magazine papers / tutorials and attended more than 100 international conferences / symposiums. His three books Complex Electromagnetic Problems and Numerical Simulation Approaches, Electromagnetic Modeling and Simulation and Radiowave Propagation and Parabolic Equation Modeling were published by the IEEE Press - WILEY in 2003, 2014, and 2017, respectively. His fourth and fifth books, A Practical Guide to EMC Engineering (Sep 2017) and Diffraction Modeling and Simulation with MATLAB (Feb 2021) were published by ARTECH HOUSE.

His h-index is 38, with a record of 5200+ citations (source: Google Scholar, Feb 2025).