SMART Hub Hosts Undergraduate Wireless Spectrum Workshops at Four Universities Across U.S.
June 25, 2025 (Waco, Texas) — More than 135 students from 47 universities across the U.S. explored technologies and potential career paths in the high-demand area of wireless radio frequency, facilitated by SMART Hub at four universities during the first two weeks of June.
As part of its commitment to growing a talented future spectrum workforce, SMART Hub (Spectrum Management with Adaptive and Reconfigurable Technology), in partnership with Keysight Technologies, hosted National Science Foundation-funded undergraduate workshops at SMART Hub member institutions Baylor University (SMART Hub headquarters), Virginia Tech, Colorado State University, and New York Institute of Technology.
“The Spectrum Sizzle provides a remarkable opportunity for SMART Hub to help grow the future national spectrum workforce,” said Charles Baylis, Ph.D., director of SMART Hub and professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Baylor University. “We appreciate the National Science Foundation allowing us to reach so many students this summer with the potential of a fruitful career in wireless spectrum. This is one of the most exciting events SMART Hub conducts each year because we get to see people’s lives impacted and our nation benefited in a very tangible way.”
The regional footprint of the participating universities allowed for easier accessibility for students from all areas of the nation, including groups from the west coast (California IT, UC San Diego) to the Midwest (U of Chicago, Ohio Northern), from the northeast (Penn State, Hofstra) to the southeast (Florida State, Tuskegee), from the Rocky Mountains (CU-Boulder, Colorado School of Mines) to Texas (Rice, UT-Arlington). These students return to their home universities inspired, empowered, and eager to play their part in the development of future wireless technologies and policies, and to develop and steward the radio spectrum of the future.
At each site, the Spectrum Sizzle began with an overview of spectrum challenges and areas of innovation. Over the next three days, students then rotated through five hands-on modules covering spectrum policy, communication systems, radar systems, passive systems, and circuits. With some of SMART Hub’s best experts leading these sessions, student experiences ranged from participating in a mock proceeding of the Federal Communications Commission to assembling and testing a circuit that would be part of a wireless system.
Q&A panel sessions allowed students to interact and learn about spectrum careers, graduate school, and developing motivation for a fruitful career. Multiple members of the SMART Hub team said that students gained confidence or even changed majors into the field because of their workshop experiences.
“It is incredibly encouraging and rewarding to see these students interact with our clinicians and engage with the concepts and activities,” said Austin Egbert, Ph.D., director of Strategic Initiatives at SMART Hub and associate research scientist at Baylor University. “At the Baylor workshop, one student spoke about how, last semester, they had started to doubt if engineering was the correct field of study for them, but by the week’s end, they expressed that the hands-on experiences during Spectrum Sizzle had reaffirmed that they were in fact on the right path.”
Each host university placed its own special touch on the workshops. For example, New York Institute of Technology hosted industry speakers from Lockheed Martin to discuss spectrum-based career opportunities.
On the final evening of each event, students went on “foxhunts” using their newly-acquired skills to search for hidden transmitters across campuses with FieldFox handheld spectrum analyzers provided by Keysight Technologies.
The spreading of the Spectrum Sizzle to four SMART Hub universities allowed many researchers within SMART Hub to play a role as clinicians. Beyond developing the future careers of student participants, the event also equips researchers as workforce developers, according to Baylis.
“I was thrilled to watch so many distinguished researchers within SMART Hub step up and invest themselves wholeheartedly in the next generation,” Baylis said.
Student Feedback
“One of my favorite things about Spectrum Sizzle was getting the chance to talk directly with experts in the field. That really helped me understand what different roles in wireless and spectrum engineering actually look like, and it gave me a clearer picture of what I might want to do in the future. Having those conversations made everything feel more real and helped me start thinking more seriously about my own career path. It was super inspiring!”
“My favorite thing was the circuits lecture and lab. The hands-on experience of soldering and working with ADS software was really interesting.”
“The foxhunt was my favorite part because we got to implement some of the knowledge skills we developed this week. I also really enjoyed the circuits lab because it combined physical systems with simulation and comparing the two. Also, every lab was really well planned out and did a terrific job of relaying information and applicable skills in a short amount of time.”
“I really enjoyed learning about the communication systems. Dr. Austin Egbert held a fascinating lecture and lab where I learned a lot. It left me wanting to know even more.”
“My favorite thing was getting to meet people from across the country that are attending different schools and have other majors than mine. I also really enjoyed getting career advice and hearing the career journeys of industry professionals.”