IEEE AP-S, Going Strong in its 76th Year!
Christophe Fumeaux
President, IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society
February 2025The year 2024 has been a truly exceptional year for the IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society (AP-S), with the celebrations of the 75th anniversary of its establishment. I am delighted to open my first President’s Message by heartfully thanking our outgoing President, Prof. Branislav Notaroš, who has led AP-S with exceptional vision and enthusiasm in this celebratory year. Branislav spared no efforts to make sure that the AP-S 75th anniversary would be remembered as an exceptional event. As a highlight, the celebrations during our flagship AP-S URSI conference in Florence [1] will leave vivid memories for all attendees, with special acknowledgment to the numerous representatives of our related Societies, our colleagues, and friends who celebrated with us. It is with renewed enthusiasm that AP-S is starting the next chapter of its history.
I am truly humbled to serve as president of AP-S in its 76th year and I am looking forward to working with our dedicated volunteers for the advancement of our beloved discipline. AP-S has been a most important part of my professional life, and I have found volunteering immensely rewarding, be it in chapter activities, editorial boards, or committee assignments. After more than two decades of involvement, I am still amazed by the depth and breadth of AP-S activities. Undeniably, the success of our society relies on the tireless dedication of its volunteers, who create a highly dynamic and diverse professional organization. This makes me immensely proud to serve AP-S and I am looking forward to interacting with many of our members in the coming year.
Undeniably, the success of our society relies on the tireless dedication of its volunteers, who create a highly dynamic and diverse professional organization
The membership of AP-S has grown to well above 12,500 members at the end of 2024. This is a remarkable milestone in the 75th year of the Society. It is also a tribute to the tremendous membership drives by our volunteers and the synergies between various committees. Of particular notice is the growth in the number of chapters, which now surpasses 250 under the outstanding coordination of Dr. Ajay Poddar. The role of chapters in fostering a connected membership through local technical and networking events cannot be emphasized enough. The incredible increase in membership mirrors the dynamism of AP-S and particular attention will be given in the future to serving the needs of our new members. In particular, it is hoped that our Young Professionals and members from industry will find their professional home in AP-S. This will be one of the focuses of my presidential year.
The countless interactions and discussions with Prof. Branislav Notaroš on the future directions of AP-S have provided me with a deeper understanding of the inner workings of our Society, and a renewed appreciation for its role in fostering our field of interest. I am grateful to Branislav for his inclusive approach, collaboration, and friendship. I also take this occasion to thank the outgoing members of the Administrative Committee (AdCom), Prof. Mahta Moghaddam (AP-S President 2020), Dr. Anisha Apte, Prof. Reyhan Baktur, Prof. Jiro Hirokawa, and Prof. Ashwin Iyer. Their volunteer service has contributed significantly to the development of the AP-S. I also warmly welcome the newly elected members of AdCom, Prof. Giacomo Oliveri, Prof. Jessica E. Ruyle, Prof. Satish Kumar Sharma, and Prof. Wonbin Hong. Last but not least, I congratulate our 2025 AP-S President-Elect, Dr. C.J. Reddy, and I am particularly looking forward to working with him. Among his numerous achievements, C.J. has led the Young Professionals to new heights, and his background in the industry will be an asset to AP-S.
The AP-S anniversary has also been the occasion to reflect on the evolution of the field of electromagnetics, antennas, and propagation. In its 75 years of existence, our Society has not been just a contributor, but rather a driver of the wireless technology revolution. The fact that AP-S journals are among the most downloaded among all IEEE journals, and that terms such as “antennas” are among the most searched in IEEE Xplore [2] demonstrate the sustained relevance of our field of interest. There is no end in sight for challenges in wireless technologies, and AP-S members are best positioned to progress our understanding of the physics and engineering in antennas and wireless propagation. Our technical activities build the core of our identity and are increasingly interdisciplinary in nature. In this context, AP-S has increasingly cultivated close ties with sister societies, such as the Microwave Theory and Technology Society (MTT-S), the Electromagnetic Compatibility Society (EMC-S), or the Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society (GRSS). These collaborations are best expressed in the common organization of conferences, or in inter-society Distinguished Lecturer events. AP-S is committed to continue these close collaborations with our partners. It is therefore particularly pleasing that two new journals with multi-society sponsorship have received final approval at the IEEE Periodical Committee (PerCom) and the IEEE Technical Activities Board (TAB) meetings in November 2024.
The incredible increase in membership mirrors the dynamism of AP-S and particular attention will be given in the future to serving the needs of our new members.
- The IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Electromagnetics, Antennas and Propagation (JSTEAP) was launched in January 2025 with financial cosponsorship of AP-S (55%), MTT-S (25%) and the IEEE Communications Society (ComSoc - 20%). This new addition to our journal portfolioThe incredible increase in membership mirrors the dynamism of AP-S and particular attention will be given in the future to serving the needs of our new members. This new addition to our journal portfolio The incredible increase in membership mirrors the dynamism of AP-S and particular attention will be given in the future to serving the needs of our new members. This new addition to our journal portfoliowill attract high-impact cutting-edge contributions on selected emerging cross-disciplinary topics of interest to the sponsoring societies. JSTEAP will perfectly complement our current journal offering by attracting articles that may not necessarily fit in our other journals. The inaugural Editorin-Chief, Prof. Ross Murch (Hong Kong University of Science and Technology), has assembled a high-powered Editorial Board and I extend my best welcome to Ross and his team.
- The IEEE Journal on Wireless Power Technologies will operate under co-sponsorship of 8 IEEE societies. The constitution of the sponsorship reflects the multi-disciplinary nature of the wireless power technologies, noting that the journal will put emphasis on hardware implementation. This new journal is led by the inaugural Editor-in-Chief Prof. Jasmin Grosinger (Graz University of Technology and Tohoku University), and we are looking forward to its launch in January 2026.
The year 2024 has been a transformative year for the AP-S, with a change of Constitution and Bylaws to update our governance structure. A notable change is the introduction of five Vice-Presidents, each with a portfolio of standing committees to coordinate, with the aim of streamlining the synergies and cooperation between the various entities. The introduction of twelve AP-S Technical Committees at the end of 2024 under the leadership of Prof. Koichi Ito will foster a strategic organization of topics in our field of interest. This will provide a framework to our publications, conferences, events, awards or special sessions.
In closing, I wish you all the best in your professional and personal goals. I sincerely hope that you’ll find in AP-S a welcoming professional family. Please consider volunteering, and you’ll become an actor in a network of passionate volunteers. I am convinced that your engagement will be rewarding both personally and professionally. I would be also delighted to hear from you with proposals and views for the future of our society.