Professor Dimitra Psychogiou, a global expert in RF front-end technologies and an inspirational leader in STEM, has now been appointed as the Professor of RF Microwave Communications in the School of Engineering by University College Cork (UCC) and Tyndall. Prof. Psychogiou will also assume the role of Head of Group for Advanced Radio Frequency (RF) Technologies at Tyndall, where she will undertake internationally-leading research at the Microelectronics Circuits Centre Ireland (MCCI).
Professor Psychogiou, who joins UCC and Tyndall from the University of Colorado Boulder, USA, will lead a new research program to develop disruptive RF technologies for the next generation of 5G/6G communications. Dimitra has a track record of ground-breaking research on reconfigurable microwave and millimeter-wave RF front-end components research, and her appointment is a real coup for Ireland. The communications industry, in particular, will benefit from the appointment, as it will strengthen Tyndall’s RF and microwave capability and capacity to successfully partner with industry in developing world-changing technologies and future leaders in RF transceivers. Her appointment will also give her the opportunity to work with Tyndall's piezoMEMS team and the RF antenna team in the development of next generation RF components.
Interim UCC President Prof John O’Halloran at University College Cork said; “We are delighted to welcome Professor Psychogiou to UCC. She is an inspirational leader in STEM that fulfils a critical need in the ambitious research strategy of the University and Tyndall, where wireless communications is a critical enabler for many aspects of modern life, and her specialist skills will drive forward an exciting research agenda that is of relevance to Ireland’s strengths. Her passion in encouraging young people, especially women, to pursue careers in engineering and research is also critical to Ireland. Electronic and microelectronic engineering companies are a major supporter of our industrial base, particularly in the Cork region, and the sector’s growth is being limited by the supply of professionally qualified engineers the industry needs. It also would benefit immensely from increased diversity”.
Professor William Scanlon, CEO of Tyndall, said; “Professor Psychogiou will lead a team of researchers at Tyndall in developing ground-breaking wireless communications technologies. Dimitra’s appointment will help us realise our Tyndall 2025 strategy for research excellence and ambitious growth, and she will help move Ireland from its current position as a strong innovator on the European Innovation Scoreboard to being an innovation leader, which is one of our main ambitions.”
Professor Anita R. Maguire, Vice President for Research & Innovation, UCC, said: “I am delighted to welcome Professor Dimitra Psychogiou to UCC and Tyndall, and look forward to exciting outcomes from her team over the coming years in the development of future technologies which will enhance communications. In addition to leading her own research team, her expertise complements that of other teams in Tyndall and MCCI and, accordingly, innovative collaborative opportunities both internally and with key industry partners are envisaged. She is a tremendous role model for young people interested in pursuing a career in engineering.”
Speaking about her move to Ireland, Professor Psychogiou said; “I am thrilled to have been appointed to this position at such a highly regarded university and research institute. I look forward to inspiring future generations through my professorship and to continuing my work into future technologies that will enhance communications. I am also very excited to have an opportunity to lead and develop a new world class team at Tyndall National Institute working on cutting edge research in wireless and satellite communications systems here in Ireland. Tyndall is behind some of Europe’s most advanced research, and Ireland also has a strong microelectronic sector that I hope to work with.”
To date, Dimitra’s research has resulted in more than 160 IEEE publications, the prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award 2020 and the 2020 International Union of Radio Science (URSI) Young Scientist Award. Her professorship comes following a four-year career as a faculty member at the University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA where she led the research on tunable filter technologies. She received her Diploma in Engineering Degree from the University of Patras, Patras Greece, in 2008 and the PhD Degree in Electrical Engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), in Zurich, Switzerland in 2013.
Her research focuses on the fundamental science and applications of microwave and millimeter wave RF front-end components, RF co-design methods for multi-functional RF components, filter synthesis techniques, broadband antenna arrays and low-cost integration methods for wireless, space and defense communication systems. Over the last ten years Dimitra has worked on research and RF co-design methods that: i) reduce the size, weight and power (SWaP) of RF transceivers, ii) facilitate operation in dense interference-dominated communication environments, iii) enable multi-standard operability (e.g. for 5G communications), iv) allow dynamic electromagnetic (EM) spectrum sharing.
Professor Psychogiou is an Associate Editor for the IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters and the International Journal of Microwave and Wireless Technologies. Furthermore, she is the Chair of the IEEE MTT-S Microwave Control Materials and Devices (MTT-13) and the secretary of the USNC-URSI Commission.
