University of Notre Dame Professor of Electrical Engineering Monisha Ghosh will testify at 9 a.m. Friday (March 10) during a Congressional Subcommittee on Communications and Technology hearing on “Defending America’s Wireless Leadership.”
In early January, radio science researchers from across the United States and beyond came together for the National Radio Science Meeting (NRSM) at the University of Colorado Boulder. The meeting was attended by six SpectrumX members, who hosted workshops and participated in multiple panel discussions. The NRSM is sponsored by the U.S. National Committee for the International Union of Radio Science.
One of the first challenges recognized in spectrum management was the fact that radio waves don’t stop at borders. This led to the reorganization of the International Telegraph Union as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in 1932, and since 1947, this United Nations Specialized Agency has been responsible for bringing order to what would otherwise be international chaos in the management of the radio spectrum. Through the diplomatic efforts of 193 member states and over 700 other participating organizations, ITU is tasked with maintaining and supporting the International Radio Regulations, and also serves as a primary venue for the development and dissemination of information for the use of the spectrum. These responsibilities have impacts effects down to the domestic regulatory level, and as we approach the 2023 World Radiocommunication Conference, awareness of and participation in the ITU process and proceedings are critical to understanding and guiding spectrum use developments.
Jonathan Williams is an electronics engineer and astrophysicist, and has almost 20 years experience in radio spectrum management. He started at NTIA in interference analysis and evaluation, and subsequently spent 12 years working in international spectrum management in International Telecommunication Union (ITU) proceedings, leading U.S. spectrum policy development and representation on multiple issues through international diplomacy.
In 2017, he joined the National Science Foundation, and serves as NSF’s coordinating spectrum manager. In this role, he represents all of NSF in both domestic and international spectrum management proceedings. Additionally, he works with a team of innovators and experts from multiple disciplines across the Foundation to develop solutions to spectrum challenges, and leverage NSF’s core competencies in funding research and development, including NSF’s Spectrum Innovation Initiative, which provided initial funding for the SpectrumX Center, workforce development, multidisciplinary research, and the nascent National Radio Dynamic Zone program.
The SpectrumX Center Meeting on October 3 and 4, held at the University of Virginia (UVA), brought together over 65 learners and leaders for cross-cutting discussions on timely and interdisciplinary topics.
“The meeting provided an opportunity for students, researchers, stakeholders, and professionals in policy making to come together at UVA to discuss some of the most important subjects in our field,” said Bobby Weikle, SpectrumX Steering Committee Chair and Radio and Network Technologies Research Lead, and Professor at the University of Virginia. “UVA has a long history of collaboration with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), and it was a great opportunity to bring their teams and our center together in-person and online.”
Charla Rath is current co-chair of the Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory
Committee (CSMAC) and former Verizon Vice President – Wireless Policy Development. At Verizon, Charla was responsible for developing and managing the company’s public policy initiatives related to spectrum management, particularly focusing on alternative spectrum auction mechanisms and sources of spectrum for next generation wireless networks, including 5G. Previously at Verizon Wireless, alongside the company’s business development and network planning groups, Charla identified and addressed the key policy and regulatory issues that enabled Verizon Wireless to secure a nationwide spectrum footprint.
Prior to joining Verizon Wireless, Charla was Vice President – Strategic Affiliations, of NextWave Telecom Inc. and Vice President of Freedom Technologies, Inc., a Washington, DC-based telecommunications consulting firm.
Charla also served as advisor to FCC Chairman Alfred C. Sikes on common carrier and spectrum policy issues and as a primary specialist in spectrum and internet policy at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
Charla has an MA in science, technology, and public policy from The George Washington University and a BSFS (Foreign Service) in international economics and finance from Georgetown University.
Julius Knapp retired from the Federal Communications Commission on January 3, 2020 after 45+ years of service. From 2006 till his retirement he served as the Chief of the FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology (OET). OET is the Commission’s primary resource for engineering expertise and provides technical support to the Chairman, Commissioners and FCC Bureaus and Offices.
Mr. Knapp previously served as a Deputy Chief of OET from 2002 – 2006. Prior to that he was the Chief of the Policy & Rules Division where he was responsible for FCC frequency allocation proceedings and for proceedings amending the FCC rules for unlicensed radio frequency devices. Mr. Knapp was Chief of the FCC Laboratory from 1994 – 1997 where he was responsible for the FCC’s equipment authorization program and technical analyses.
He received the FCC’s Silver and Gold Medal Awards for distinguished service at the Commission as well as the Presidential Distinguished Rank Award for exceptional achievement in the career Senior Executive Service. Mr. Knapp has been the recipient of the Eugene C. Bowler award for exceptional professionalism and dedication to public service; the Federal Communications Bar Association Excellence in Government Service Award; the WCAI Government Leadership award; the National Spectrum Management Association Fellow Award; the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance Lifetime Achievement Award; Wi-Fi Alliance recognition for commitment to Wi-Fi and unlicensed spectrum; the Association of Federal Communications Consulting Engineers E. Noel Luddy Award; and the Satellite Industry Association Satellite Leadership in Government Award. Mr. Knapp is a Life Member of the IEEE. He received a Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the City College of New York in 1974.
Ruth Milkman is a partner in Quadra Partners, LLC, a strategic-advisory firm providing integrated expertise across business, finance, and public policy in the context of converging communications technologies. Ms. Milkman served as the Chief of Staff of the Federal Communications Commission from 2013-2017 and Chief of the FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau between 2009 and 2013. From 1998-2009 she worked as one of the leading telecommunications lawyers in Washington as co-founder of Lawler, Metzger, Milkman and Keeney, a firm serving clients ranging from start-ups to large established telecommunications companies and private-equity firms. Before joining Lawler, Metzger, Ms. Milkman held a variety of senior positions at the FCC, including Senior Legal Advisor to Chairman Reed Hundt and Deputy Chief of the International and Common Carrier Bureaus.
Ms. Milkman has a B.A. from Harvard University and a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School. She served as a clerk for the Honorable J. Harvie Wilkinson III on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
Monisha Ghosh completed a term as the Chief Technology Officer at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on June 14, 2021. In this role she reported to the Chairman of the FCC and was closely involved with setting national strategy and technology specifications related to the explosive growth of broadband wireless communications technologies.
Prof. Ghosh previously served in the NSF as a rotating Program Director (IPA) within the Directorate of Computer & Information Science and Engineering (CISE) where she managed wireless networking research. At the NSF, she initiated one of the first large-scale programs that targets applications of machine learning to wireless networks.
From 2015 to 2021, she also was a Research Professor at the University of Chicago, where she conducted research on wireless technologies for the 5G cellular, next-generation Wi-Fi systems, IoT, coexistence and spectrum sharing. She previously worked in industrial research and development at Interdigital, Philips Research, and Bell Laboratories on wireless systems such as the HDTV broadcast standard, cable standardization, and cognitive radio for the TV White Spaces.
She is a Fellow of the IEEE.
Interested in American Political development and the challenges of public administration, Murtazashvili focuses his research on the relationship governance and legal titling in the developing world. Using the American frontier as an example, he investigates current challenges developing countries face, and how they can improve their prospects for economic development and political stability.
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