Kapil R. Dandekar, Ph.D., F.NAI, F.AIMBE
- E. Warren Colehower Endowed Chair Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Vice Dean for Strategic Transition, Howley College of Engineering and Computing
- Interim School Head, School of Engineering, Howley College of Engineering and Computing
- Director, Drexel Wireless Systems Laboratory
Drexel University
3141 Chestnut Street, CAT 170
Philadelphia, PA 19104
dandekar ~ drexel.edu
Biography
Kapil R. Dandekar is the E. Warren Colehower Endowed Chair Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Drexel University, where he directs the Drexel Wireless Systems Laboratory (DWSL). He serves as Vice Dean for Strategic Transition of the Howley College of Engineering and Computing and as Interim School Head of its School of Engineering. He joined the Drexel faculty in 2001 and holds affiliated professor appointments in Computer Science and in the School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems.
His research spans software-defined radio; reconfigurable, metamaterial, and non-traditional material antennas; wireless physical-layer security; medical cyber-physical systems; the Internet of Things for smart cities; and engineering education. His group’s current work includes generative AI for wireless interference, resilient and secure wireless, next-generation radio hardware and testbeds, and RF sensing for health.
Technologies from his lab have reached the market. Electrically reconfigurable antenna patents developed in DWSL were licensed by Adant, founded by DWSL alumnus Daniele Piazza, where Dr. Dandekar serves on the Scientific Advisory Board. He also co-founded MetaTenna and VariWaves, and with the Drexel Center for Functional Fabrics, his lab develops knitted radio-frequency sensors for medical body-area networks. He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors and of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, and a Senior Member of IEEE.
Academic leadership
- Vice Dean for Strategic Transition, Howley College of Engineering and Computing (2026–present)
- Interim School Head, School of Engineering, Howley College of Engineering and Computing (2026–present)
- Interim Dean, College of Engineering (2025–2026)
- Associate Dean for Enrollment Management and Graduate Education, College of Engineering (2019–2025)
- Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies, College of Engineering (2011–2019)
- Assistant Department Head for Graduate Affairs, Electrical and Computer Engineering (2008–2011)
Education
- Ph.D., Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 2001
- M.S.E., Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 1998
- B.S.E.E., Electrical Engineering, University of Virginia, 1997
Selected honors
- Fellow, National Academy of Inventors (2025)
- Fellow, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (2023)
- College Outstanding Innovation Award, Drexel College of Engineering (2019)
- Provost’s Award for Outstanding Mid-Career Scholarly Activity, Drexel University (2016)
- College Outstanding Research Award, Drexel College of Engineering (2015)
- President’s Award for Civic Engagement, Drexel University (2013)
- Meritorious Service Award, IEEE Educational Activities Board (2012)
Service and mentoring
- Supervised 18 Ph.D. graduates (2006–2026)
- IEEE Educational Activities Board (2007–2015), including Chair of the Pre-University Education Coordinating Committee
- Chair, IEEE Philadelphia Section Vehicular Technology Society chapter (2002–2010) and Communications/Information Theory Society chapter (2007–2014)
- Editorial board, IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology (2002–2007)
- National Science Foundation review panels (2001–present)