Stephen Watt Receives National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship

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Stephen Watt, a graduate student pursuing a Ph.D. degree at the ESL, receives DoD's National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship that comes with a 3-year coverage of full tuition and all mandatory fees, a monthly stipend, and up to $1,000 a year in medical insurance. With the support of this fellowship Stephen is going to study "Interference Immune and Self-Protected Medical Devices" (Research summary provided below). NDSEG Fellowship is a highly competitive, portable fellowship that is awarded to U.S. citizens and nationals who intend to pursue a doctoral degree in one of fifteen supported disciplines. The DoD offers these fellowships to individuals who have demonstrated the ability and special aptitude for advanced training in science and engineering. Stephen is advised by Prof. John L. Volakis. For more information on Stephen's research and recent accomplishment, please read recent article featured at ECE's website.

Research Summary: Biological data from implantable medical devices (IMDs) will be vital for future defense and healthcare applications. Despite their value added, these devices are susceptible to jamming, interference, and unauthorized listeners. As a DoD NDSEG fellow, Stephen plans to build on previous work from the ElectroScience Laboratory and research the use of textile antennas and wearable electronics to improve wireless security for IMDs.