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Professor Alan Bovik and his research team were recognized for algorithms that optimize streaming media at the 72nd Annual Technology & Engineering Emmy® Awards. While winners were announced earlier this year, the awards were presented in a virtual ceremony livestreamed on November 4. The team included WNCG alumni Kalpana Seshadrinathan, Rajiv Soundararajan, and Hamid Sheikh; all three researchers completed doctoral programs at the University of Texas at Austin, where they were advised by Bovik. 

The National Academy of Television and Arts & Sciences has awarded Alan Bovik, professor in the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, and his team of student collaborators with a 2020 Technology & Engineering Emmy® Award. The team will be recognized for algorithms that optimize streaming media to millions of homes around the globe.

The Television Academy announced today that Alan Bovik, professor in the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, and his team of former students and collaborators will be honored with a 2015 Primetime Engineering Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Engineering Development. The team will be recognized for their development of an advanced algorithm that enhances the video viewing experiences for tens of millions of people throughout the world. 

WNCG Prof. Todd Humphreys and his group of researchers in the Radionavigation Laboratory made headlines in recent months with their major breakthroughs in centimeter-accurate positioning. A few of the students have already created a startup spin-off to push these breakthroughs in precise positioning to the mass market.

WNCG student Ken Pesyna was selected as a 2015 Marconi Society Paul Baran Young Scholar. The award recognizes Pesyna’s academic achievements and leadership in the field of communications and information science. Pesyna was selected because his outstanding work in centimeter-accurate and power-efficient smartphone positioning, his excellent academic record and his demonstrated entrepreneurial capabilities.

Imagine drawing a light painting using a phone’s antenna and GPS system. Imagine a world of virtual reality, where buildings are perfect replicas of their real-world counterparts, down to the exact height of a piece of gum stuck under a desk. Where a person cannot only see their location on the street but also the exact height and orientation of their mobile device in hand. This world of imagination and precise positioning is now becoming a reality, and through the efforts of WNCG students, even finding its way to market. 

Last month, Todd Humphreys, an assistant professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics and WNCG, testified before the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security's Subcommittee on Oversight and Management Efficiency. Humphreys was asked to speak at the hearing, "Unmanned Aerial System Threats: Exploring Security Implications and Mitigation Technologies," because of his expertise in unmanned aerial vehicles, UAVs. Watch the full video, or segments.

WNCG Prof. Todd Humphreys, who is also part of the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at UT Austin received the Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award totaling $500,000 from the National Science Foundation.

An incubator of cutting-edge technologies and digital creativity, SXSW Interactive 2015 featured five days of presentations and panels from the brightest minds in emerging technology. Special programs showcased new websites, video games and startup ideas from the community.

WNCG Faculty and students met on Sunday with researchers from the Center for Transportation Research (CTR) and other UT Austin Cockrell School Engineers during the first-ever UT Village at SXSW Interactive 2015. This year's event featured panels and interactive research demonstrations and was open to all SXSW Interactive 2015 Badge Holders. Click the image below to view the complete slideshow from the day's events.