“It’s a Wonderful Time to Be an Antenna Engineer”: An Interview With Prof. John Volakis [Young Professionals

Abstract

In a podcast published by <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">IEEE Open Journal of Antennas and Propagation</i> ( <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">OJAP</i> ) in June 2021, Prof. John (Yiannis) Volakis [past president of the IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society (AP-S), and dean of the College of Engineering and Computing at Florida International University] engaged in a conversation with Prof. Asimina Kiourti ( <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">OJAP</i> ’s senior editor and assistant professor at The Ohio State University) about his exciting career path and the incredible advances that the field of antennas and propagation is currently seeing <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref1" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">[1]</xref> . This article provides a transcript of the key parts of the podcast with Prof. Volakis. The interview has been edited to fit the scope of the “Young Professionals” column of <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">IEEE Antennas and Propagation Magazine</i> . Figures are also included highlighting some of Prof. Volakis’s major research contributions. His story is truly inspiring and motivating for young professionals.