Kapil R. Dandekar, PhD, E. Warren Colehower Endowed Chair Professor in electrical and computer
engineering and interim dean of the College of Engineering, has been named a
2025 National Academy of Inventors (NAI) Fellow.
NAI Fellowship is the highest professional distinction awarded solely to
inventors. Fellows are selected for demonstrating a highly prolific spirit
of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have
made a tangible impact on the quality of life, economic development, and
welfare of society. Dandekar will be honored and presented his medal at the
NAI 15th Annual Conference on June 4, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
Dandekar was nominated, reviewed, and elected by peers and members of the
College of Fellows for outstanding contributions to wireless systems,
including advances in reconfigurable antennas, software-defined radio, and
the development of biomedical sensing systems. As director of the Drexel
Wireless Systems Lab, he has led groundbreaking research in wireless
communications, antennas, and software-defined radio with applications
spanning next-generation communication networks, wireless security,
biomedical monitoring, and the Internet of Things.
"One of my earliest childhood memories, shortly after learning how to write,
is creating daily schedules for myself," Dandekar said. "The most important
item on the list, slotted between lunch and late-afternoon cartoons, was
always 'time to invent something.' That memory captures why this honor means
so much to me."
A cornerstone of Dandekar’s impact is his pioneering work on reconfigurable
antenna systems. His research in this area, co-developed with his students,
led to patented technologies that were
licensed by a former student and alumnus of his lab, Daniele Piazza,
through Adant. These antennas now appear in commercial wireless products, where their
ability to adapt radiation patterns in real time improves signal coverage,
reduces interference, and enables more reliable connectivity across diverse
environments. His lab has also produced innovations in wireless sensing and
biomedical applications, including wearable devices that monitor infant
respiration, interface with external ventilators, and support patient
monitoring across clinical and home settings.
Under Dandekar's leadership, the Drexel Wireless Systems Lab has become a
hub for interdisciplinary research
and education. The lab's Grid Software Defined Radio testbed provides
researchers and students with a large-scale wireless emulation system used
for applications ranging from cognitive radio and medical IoT systems to
multi-target tracking radar and unmanned aerial vehicle communication
networks. The testbed is also used in a hands-on laboratory class for
undergraduate and graduate students, as well as for corporate partners
pursuing customized graduate certificates.
The 2025 NAI Fellows cohort includes 169 U.S. distinguished academic and
institutional inventors and 16 International Fellows, representing 127
universities, government agencies, and research institutions across 40 U.S.
states. Together, they hold more than 5,300 U.S. patents and include
recipients of the Nobel Prize, the National Medals of Science and Technology
& Innovation, and members of the National Academies of Sciences,
Engineering, and Medicine.
The NAI Fellows program was founded in 2012 and has grown to include 2,253
distinguished researchers and innovators, who hold over 86,000 U.S. patents
and 20,000 licensed technologies. Their innovations have generated an
estimated $3.8 trillion in revenue and 1.4 million jobs.