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Huff receives PECASE Award, the second for ECE in two years

Dr. Gregory Huff, assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Texas A&M University, was recently named a recipient of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) for his work on multifunctional antennas and multimodal sensing systems.
Huff was among 100 of the nation’s best and brightest young scientists and engineers named PECASE recipients by President Barack Obama. The award highlights the importance of science and technology for the nation's future.
"These extraordinarily gifted young scientists and engineers represent the best in our country," President Obama said in a White House press release. "With their talent, creativity and dedication, I am confident that they will lead their fields in new breakthroughs and discoveries and help us use science and technology to lift up our nation and our world."
Huff was nominated for the award through the Army Research (ARO) Office’s Young Investigator Program (YIP). He was among the 41 scholars nominated by agencies within the U.S. Department of Defense, which is the highest honor for faculty members who are beginning their independent research careers. To support his basic research, Huff and other DoD PECASE recipients will receive $200,000 a year for five years. Dr. Haiyan Wang, also an assistant professor in the department, received a PECASE award last year for her work with high-temperature superconductors, making Huff’s award the second in two years for the ECE department. Huff also was a grantee in the 2008 Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP), which supports the purchase of state-of-the-art equipment to perform cutting-edge defense research.
Huff’s research through this award will focus on multifunctional antenna systems and smart structures for high performance radiating systems and other critical components that support the dynamic operation of current and emerging DoD platforms (unpiloted or unattended platforms (UAVs, etc.), space-based systems, and structurally morphing air, ground and space platforms. This includes the development of experimental techniques and analytical methods for the electromagnetic characterization, equivalent circuit and transmission line modeling, and electromagnetic applications of novel materials and systems for electromagnetic, acoustic and IR agility; the analysis, design, and fabrication of reconfigurable and/or multi-function antennas and the conformal integration of these radiators onto/into curvilinear surfaces and host chassis; and the integration of reconfigurable devices into sensors and sensor platforms, multi-scale sensor networks and communications platforms, and other areas that can fully exploit the behavior these high performance devices. His research interests in multidisciplinary enabling technologies and systems-of-systems encompass many concepts ranging in length scales from dynamic particle-based material systems up to the use of operational paradigms that facilitate the maximum use of these enhanced capabilities.
Huff joined the Electromagnetics and Microwaves group in the department in September 2006. He received his Ph.D., his M.S. and his B.S., all from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, in 2006, 2003 and 2000 respectively. Other recent honors include receiving a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and a Young Scientist Award from L’Union Radio-Scientifique Internationale (URSI) - the International Union of Radio Science.
Huff’s research interests also include biologically inspired mechanisms and dynamic material systems (microfluidics, nanoparticles, etc.); the theory, design and application of reconfigurable antennas and circuits (sensors, phase shifters, filters, etc.); multifunctional (structural, electromagnetic, etc.) RF, microwave and millimeter-wave radiating systems and smart skins; studying the role of reconfigurable/multifunctional antennas in spread spectrum digital communication techniques; multiple antenna techniques; and the placement and electromagnetic interference (EMI) issues arising from the conformal integration high speed devices and radiators into host chassis.
The Presidential Early Career Awards embody the high priority the Administration places on producing outstanding scientists and engineers to advance the nation’s goals and contribute to all sectors of the economy. Nine Federal departments and agencies join together annually to nominate the most meritorious young scientists and engineers—researchers whose early accomplishments show the greatest promise for strengthening America’s leadership in science and technology and contributing to the awarding agencies' missions.
The award, established by President Clinton in February 1996, is coordinated by the Office of Science and Technology Policy within the Executive Office of the President. Awardees are selected on the basis of two criteria: Pursuit of innovative research at the frontiers of science and technology and a commitment to community service as demonstrated through scientific leadership, public education, or community outreach.