Entrepreneurs looking to monetize 5G networks “and beyond” have a new tool thanks to a national effort spearheaded by a research team at North Carolina State University. AERPAW, a project designed to accelerate the integration of unmanned aerial systems – also known as drones – is now generally available, a development officials say could give Triangle companies the upper hand.
Ismail Guvenc

Biography
Dr. Ismail Guvenc (Fellow, IEEE) received his Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from University of South Florida in 2006. He was with Mitsubishi Electric Research Labs during 2005, with DOCOMO Innovations between 2006-2012, and with Florida International University between 2012-2016. Since 2016, he has been an Associate Professor with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at North Carolina State University. His recent research interests include 5G wireless systems, communications and networking with drones, and heterogeneous wireless networks. He has published more than 130 conference/journal papers and book chapters, and several standardization contributions. He co-authored/co-edited three books for Cambridge University Press, served as an editor for IEEE Communications Letters (2010-2015) and IEEE Wireless Communications Letters (2011-present), and as a guest editor for several other journals. Dr. Guvenc is an inventor/coinventor some 30 U.S. patents. He is a recipient of the FIU College of Engineering Faculty Research Award (2016), NSF CAREER Award (2015), Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award (2014), and USF Outstanding Dissertation Award (2006).
Education
-
Ph.D.
2006
Electrical Engineering
University of South Florida, Tampa -
Master's
2003
Electrical and Computer Engineering
University of New Mexico, Albuquerque -
Bachelor's
2001
Electrical Engineering
Bilkent University, Turkey
Research Focus
- Communications and Signal Processing
- Networking
Funded Research
- Propagation Measurements and Modeling with Transparent Reflectors at Sub-6 (3.6-6 GHz) and mmWave (28 GHz) in Indoor Environments, BWAC Core Project
- Membership in Broadband Wireless Access and Applications Center (BWAC) – NCSU Research Site
- Indoor Base Station/Reflector Placement and Sleep Mode Optimization for mmWave Networks, BWAC Core Project
- Membership in Broadband Wireless Access and Applications Center (BWAC) – NCSU Research Site
- 5G/6G Network Planning Using Lidar-Generated 3D Models of Indoor/Outdoor Spaces and Ray Tracing
- Study on the High-Reliability and Low-Latency Communication Algorithm for Wireless Identification of Low-Altitude Small Drones
- Accurate Modeling of Indoor Environments Using a LiDAR for Efficient mmWave Network Planning and Understanding mmWave Propagation Channel Characteristics
- Indoor Ray Tracing and Base Station Placement Optimization for mmWave Systems, BWAC Core Project
- Broadband Wireless Access and Applications Center (BWAC) Membership Pool Agreement
- Membership in Broadband Wireless Access and Applications Center (BWAC) – NCSU Research Site
- PAWR Platform Full Proposal: AERPAW: Aerial Experimentation and Research Platform for Advanced Wireless
- CNS Core: Small: Collaborative: Towards Surge-Resilient Hybrid RF/VLC Networks
- Phase II IUCRC North Carolina State University: Broadband Wireless Access and Applications Center (BWAC)
- An Innovative Secure Millimeter Wave (mmWave) Machine to Machine (M2M) Communication Network for Operating Drones
- NeTS: Small: Collaborative Research: Improving Spectrum Efficiency for Hyper-Dense IoT Networks
- University Leadership Initiative; Hyper-Spectral Communications, Networking & ATM as Foundation for Safe and Efficient Future Flight: Transcending Aviation Operational Limitations with Diverse and Secure Multi-Band, Multi-Mode, and mmWave Wireless Li
- CAREER: Towards Broadband and UAV-Assisted Heterogeneous Networks for Public Safety Communications
- CRISP Type 2: Collaborative Research Towards Resilient Smart Cities
- NeTS: Small: Collaborative Research: Towards Millimeter Wave Communications for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
- Investigations On Current And Future 3GPP Channel Models And The Evaluation Of Various Existing MIMO Techniques With These Channel Models
Highlighted Awards
- NSF CAREER Award (2015)
- University Faculty Scholars (2021)
- Bennett Faculty Fellow Award (2019)
Awards & Honors
- 2016 - FIU College of Engineering Faculty Research Award
- 2015 - NSF CAREER Award
- 2014 - Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award
- 2006 - USF Graduate School Outstanding Dissertation Award
Recent News

NC State ECE Faculty Members Ranked as Top Electronics and Electrical Engineers in United States
Posted on March 3, 2022 | Filed Under: News
Fourteen ECE faculty members have been ranked as the Top Electronics and Electrical Engineering Scientists in the United States.

Guvenc and Kudenov named University Faculty Scholars
Posted on January 29, 2021 | Filed Under: Faculty
Congratulations to Ismail Guvenc and Michael Kudenov on being named University Faculty Scholars this year, recognizing their outstanding achievements in research and teaching.

Guvenc and Lu Elevated to IEEE Fellows
Posted on December 1, 2020 | Filed Under: Faculty
Two NC State ECE professors–Ismail Guvenc and Ning Lu–were honored with elevation to IEEE Fellow in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the field of electrical and computer engineering.
Recent Media Mentions
Recent Publications
Wavelet transform analytics for RF-based UAV detection and identification system using machine learning & nbsp;
(2022)- Dynamic Interference Management for UAV-Assisted Wireless Networks (2022)
- Precoder Design for Physical-Layer Security and Authentication in Massive MIMO UAV Communications (2022)
- Radar Cross Section Based Statistical Recognition of UAVs at Microwave Frequencies (2022)
- A Taxonomy and Survey on Experimentation Scenarios for Aerial Advanced Wireless Testbed Platforms (2021)
- AERPAW emulation overview and preliminary performance evaluation (2021)
- Advanced Air Mobility (2021)
- Attenuation of Several Common Building Materials: Millimeter-Wave Frequency Bands 28, 73, and 91 GHz (2021)
- Base Station and Passive Reflectors Placement for Urban mmWave Networks (2021)
- Channel Prediction for mmWave Ground-to-Air Propagation Under Blockage (2021)