Education
Biography
Vikas S. Sonwalkar received his B. Tech. degree in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur in 1976. He received his MS in Mechanical and Aerospace Sciences from the University of Rochester in 1978, where he was a fellow of the Laboratory for Laser Energetics. He received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering in 1986 from Stanford University. Following his Ph.D., Dr. Sonwalkar worked first as a post doctoral affiliate (1986-1989) and later as a Research Associate (1989-1995) in the Space, Telecommunications, and Radioscience Laboratory (STAR) at Stanford University. During this period (1986-1995) he was also a Lecturer in the Electrical Engineering Department at Stanford, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in Electromagnetic Theory and Digital Signal Processing. He was a visiting Assistant Professor in the Electrical Engineering Department at Stanford University during 1995 – 1997. Dr. Sonwalkar came to Fairbanks in 1995 where he is a Professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He teaches graduate and undergraduate courses on plasma, acoustic and electromagnetic wave propagation, and digital signal processing. He has supervised research of 3 PhD and 15 MS students in the past and is currently supervising research activities of one doctoral and two MS students. Dr. Sonwalkar has worked on research projects sponsored by NASA, NSF, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Alaska Science and Technology Foundation, and Alaska Space Grant Program. He has been concerned with understanding generation mechanisms and propagation of electromagnetic waves of natural and/or man-made origins in the terrestrial, Venusian, and Neptunian magnetospheres. He has analyzed and interpreted plasma wave data from a number of spacecraft (ISEE 1,DE 1, DE 2, ACTIVNY, COSMOS 1809, PVO, Voyager 2, IMAGE) and ground stations (Siple, Lake Mistissini). At Stanford, he designed and implemented a Digital Wideband Data Analysis and Archiving system to be used for ground and satellite wave data. His current research interests include high latitude wave propagation phenomena (auroral hiss), thunderstorm coupling to the magnetosphere, magnetospheric wave-particle interactions, acoustic wave propagation with applications to fisheries, ultra-wideband propagation and development and applications of new digital signal processing techniques for scientific data analysis. Dr. Sonwalkar has authored and co-authored ~40 refereed journal papers and ~80 conference papers on various topics including plasma wave generation and propagation, remote sensing of radiation belts, antennas in space plasmas, and digital and analog electronics. He has authored one chapter on the magnetospheric ELF, VLF and LF waves in the CRC Handbook of Atmospheric Electrodynamics (1995), one chapter on “Whistlers” in Wiley Encyclopedia of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (1998), one chapter on “The Influence of Plasma Density Irregularities on Whistler Mode Wave Propagation” in Springer Lecture Notes in Physics (2006), and coauthored an article on “Active wave experiments in space plasmas: The Z mode,” in Springer Lecture Notes in Physics (2006). Dr. Sonwalkar is a member of the American Geophysical Union (AGU), the International Union of Radio Science (URSI), the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE). In 1986 he received the URSI best student paper award. In 1987 he received the URSI Young Scientist Award for the General Assembly of International Union of Radio Science held in Tel Aviv, Aug.-Sept., 1987. In 1997 he received Los Alamos Achievement Award. In 2004, he received the Outstanding Graduate Student Advisor Award of the College of Science, Engineering and Mathematics, University of Alaska Fairbanks
Professional Experience
07/00--Present: Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
07/03—06/05: Chairman, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Alaska Fairbanks. 06/03—Present: Associate member, Space Physics Group, Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks. 10/97-present: Associated Researcher, STAR Laboratory, Stanford University. 07/00—12/04: Professor (Affiliate), School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks. 07/98—07/00: Associate Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Alaska Fairbanks. 09/95--07/98: Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Alaska Fairbanks. 09/95--09/97: Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University. 10/89--08/95: Research Associate, Space Telecommunications and Radioscience Laboratory, Stanford University. 06/86--08/95: Lecturer, Electrical Engineering Department, Stanford University. 10/86--09/89: Post Doctoral Affiliate, Space Telecommunications and Radioscience Laboratory, Stanford University. 01/86--05/86: Teaching Fellow, Electrical Engineering Department, Stanford University. 9/78--06/86: Research or Teaching Assistant, Space Telecommunications and Radioscience Laboratory, and Electrical Engineering Department Stanford University. 9/76--6/78: Fellow, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, and Fellow, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Science, University of Rochester. 10/74--5/76: Research Assistant, Advanced Center for Electronic Systems, and Physics Department, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India.
Honors and Awards
URSI Fellowship Grant Award, July 2005. Outstanding graduate student Advising, College of Science, Engineering and Mathematics, UAF, May 2004. Los Alamos Achievement Award, 1997. URSI Young Scientist Award, 1987 (awarded to two young scientists nationwide). URSI best student paper award, 1986 (awarded to three students nationwide). Award for the best student in Fluid Mechanics, University of Rochester, 1977
J. N. Tata Endowment Fellowship to study abroad, 1976. Certificate of academic excellence, 1973, 74, 75, 76, IIT, Kanpur. Prize for standing 3rd in a class of 200 in the core years (first three years common to all engineering students) at IIT, Kanpur, 1974. Merit-Cum-Means Scholarship (IIT, Kanpur), 1971-76. National Merit Scholarship (Govt. of India), 1969-71.
Professional Organizations
Member, American Geophysical Union (AGU) (1988-present). Member (elected), International Union of Radio Science (URSI) (1992- present). Member, Acoustical Society of America, 1998-2001. Member, American Society for Engineering Education (1998-2000). Member, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (2003-present). Member, Microwave Theory and Techniques, (2003-present).
Teaching
Taught undergraduate and graduate courses over the last 20 years (10 years at Stanford and 10 at UAF) covering the following subjects: electromagnetic theory, electromagnetic, plasma, acoustic, seismic, and atmospheric waves, analog and digital signal processing, neural networks, and wireless communication. Supervised research of 20 undergraduate and 21 graduate students (17 MS, 4 Ph.D.) at Stanford and UAF . Currently supervising research of one Ph.D., one MS student. Mentored research of one research professor (Dr. Nina Avdonina). Served as an outside examiner for several Ph.D. candidates in Geophysical Institute and other departments at UAF.
For details regarding my past and present classes please go back to WPL's teaching page.
Research
Performed research in space physics, remote sensing, wave propagation, acoustics, digital signal processing, and electronics. Research funded by NSF, NASA, DOE, Los Alamos, Alaska Science and Technology Foundation, DOD. Obtained as project director more than one million dollars in funding from federal agencies while at Stanford. Obtained more than one and half million dollars funding at UAF, as PI (~one million dollars) or CO-PI (~half million dollars), from federal and state agencies at UAF. Authored coauthored more than 100 research papers in refereed journals (more than 35), conferences (more than 75), and encyclopedias and handbooks (2).
For details regarding my past and present research work please go back to WPL's research page.
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Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) University of Alaska Fairbanks 
