2026 AWARDS AND FELLOWS BIOGRAPHIES

AWARDS

At Xavier, he helped build the university’s television and radio facilities and later joined the faculty as a professor and Director of Broadcasting. He went on to become Executive Vice President of Midwest Communications, leading the design and construction of broadcast facilities for major networks and more than 200 television stations worldwide. Later, as Vice President of Broadcast Systems and Advanced Broadcast Technologies at Harris Corporation, he played a significant role in the development and implementation of digital television and served as Vice Chairman of the Advanced Television Systems Committee.

He is President of the Board of Directors of the National Voice of America Museum in West Chester, Ohio, and Technical Advisor to the Madeira H.S. performing arts program.

He holds three patents and received the National Association of Broadcasters’ Television Engineering Achievement Award. He is a member of the Radio Club of America and a Fellow of the Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE) and The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE). He remains active in broadcasting, education, and amateur radio.

Dr. Charles C. Counselman III is a pioneering scientist and engineer whose innovations fundamentally transformed satellite-based positioning and made highly accurate GPS positioning available to the public. A professor at MIT, Dr. Counselman developed a revolutionary method for determining positions from GPS signals without knowledge of the encrypted codes used by the U.S. military.

Building on radio-astronomical techniques he had developed for applications ranging from determining the positions of quasars and testing Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity to lunar surveying and tracking the Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicles, Dr. Counselman recognized that his “doubly differenced” phase technique could provide millimeter- to centimeter-level positioning accuracy.

He and a former MIT colleague developed the Macrometer^R Interferometric Surveyor, the first practical system to achieve highly accurate positioning using GPS satellite signals without access to the military codes. Introduced in 1982, Macrometer systems were adopted by the National Geodetic Survey and surveying firms worldwide. He holds 36 patents for innovations in GPS antenna and receiver design, ultimately enabling miniaturization and the widespread consumer use of GPS technology today.

In 2008, Dr. Counselman received the American Geophysical Union’s Charles A. Whitten Medal for “outstanding achievements in research on the form and dynamics of the Earth and planets.” In 2016, he received the ASPRS Outstanding Technical Achievement Award for his pioneering work.

Dr. Andrea Goldsmith is a pioneering researcher, educator, entrepreneur, and global leader whose work has fundamentally shaped modern wireless communications. In recognition of her extraordinary contributions to the field, she will become the first woman to receive the Radio Club of America’s Armstrong Medal, named for radio pioneer Major Edwin H. Armstrong.

Dr. Goldsmith earned her BS in Engineering Mathematics and her MS and PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. Her research spans information theory, communication theory, and signal processing, with applications to wireless communications, interconnected systems, and neuroscience. Her scholarly impact is exceptional: she has authored more than 200 journal papers, nearly 400 conference papers, four books, and 38 patents, with more than 90,000 Google Scholar citations and an h-index of 102.

Among her most influential contributions was her pioneering work on adaptive modulation and its fundamental performance limits. Her research in the 1990s provided the theoretical foundation for modulation-and-coding schemes later adopted in Wi-Fi, EDGE, and 3GPP/LTE systems. She also developed fundamental capacity results for multiple-antenna wireless systems, including work that helped establish the principles underlying MIMO and massive MIMO technologies.

Dr. Goldsmith began her academic career at the California Institute of Technology, spent more than two decades on the faculty of Stanford University, and served as Dean of Princeton University’s School of Engineering and Applied Science before becoming president of Stony Brook University in August 2025. She also served on President Biden’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.

Dr. Goldsmith has consistently translated groundbreaking research into real-world technology. She co-founded and served as CTO of Quantenna Communications, whose pioneering MIMO technology enabled carrier-grade wireless video distribution throughout the home and was adopted by major carriers worldwide. She also co-founded Plume Design, a leader in adaptive Wi-Fi mesh networking.

An accomplished educator, Dr. Goldsmith authored the celebrated textbook Wireless Communications, used by universities worldwide, and she co-authored three additional books. Her leadership extends throughout IEEE, where she became the first woman president of the IEEE Information Theory Society and later served as founding chair of the IEEE Board of Directors Committee on Diversity and Inclusion.

Dr. Goldsmith’s numerous honors include induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2024, the 2025 IEEE Mildred Dresselhaus Medal, the 2024 IEEE James H. Mulligan, Jr. Education Medal, and the 2020 Marconi Prize, which she was the first woman to receive. In 2027, she will receive the IEEE Claude E. Shannon Award. Beyond her technical achievements, Dr. Goldsmith has been a tireless advocate for diversity and for encouraging women and underrepresented groups to pursue careers in technology.

Dr. Goldsmith’s career embodies the innovation, leadership, and lasting influence celebrated by the Radio Club of America’s Armstrong Medal.

Charles Kirmuss is an accomplished inventor whose work has bridged communications, public safety, media preservation, and advanced sensing technologies. His innovations include developing digital video and audio recording systems for public safety, giving first responders enhanced situational awareness through GPS-enabled technology.

Mr. Kirmuss also pioneered event-based video and audio recording with metadata, creating new capabilities for retrieving and restoring historic sound recordings, including vinyl records, lacquers, Edison Cylinders, and vintage compact cassettes. Extending this innovative approach beyond preservation, he developed event-based recording and metadata systems for retrieving and creating precisely timed light spectra for agricultural applications on Earth and in space, in collaboration with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Through these diverse accomplishments, Mr. Kirmuss has demonstrated an exceptional ability to apply inventive thinking and emerging technologies to challenges across public safety, cultural preservation, agriculture, and space exploration.

Mr. Kirmuss is a longtime member, director, and Fellow of the Radio Club of America, where he has received the President’s Award and Special Service Award. Mr. Kirmuss’ contributions exemplify the spirit of innovation recognized by the Henri Busignies Memorial Award recognizes.

Mal Gurian’s remarkable career spans the evolution of wireless communications from two-way radio to the dawn of cellular—and his influence on the industry continues to be felt today. Born and raised in New York City, he served as a photographer in the Pacific Theater during World War II before photography led him into the two-way radio business. He joined Radio Telephone Corporation in 1960 and later became Senior Vice President of Aerotron Inc.

In 1981, he joined Oki Electric Industry Company of Japan and built its U.S. operations from the ground up, becoming CEO of Oki Advanced Communications. Under his leadership, Oki developed and manufactured the first commercial cellular telephone offered to the public, helping usher in a transformative new era of wireless communications.

Following Oki, Mr. Gurian continued his leadership in the communications industry as president and CEO of several companies, while also pursuing innovation in voice recognition and networking. A longtime devoted member of the Radio Club of America since 1969, he is a Fellow and Lifetime Member, and has served as President Emeritus since 1994.

Mr. Gurian was Inducted into the Wireless Hall of Fame in 2003 and has received numerous distinguished honors, including theRadio Club of America’s Sarnoff Citation and NABER’s Chairman’s Award. Today, RCA proudly celebrates Mr. Gurian—not only for a century of life, but for a century of connection, innovation, leadership, and lasting contributions to the wireless industry.

Audrey McElroy is an electrical engineer and Georgia Tech graduate, earning her B.S. in Electrical Engineering with High Honors in December 2025, with concentrations in analog electronics and RF. She currently works as an engineer at Lockheed Martin in Marietta, GA.

During her time at Georgia Tech, Audrey was deeply involved in the engineering community. She served as a Peer Instructor in the Interdisciplinary Design Commons (HIVE), where she helped students with electronics, prototyping, soldering, and troubleshooting, and served on the executive board of Women in Electrical and Computer Engineering (WECE). She also served as president of the Georgia Tech Amateur Radio Club (W4AQL) for two years. A licensed amateur radio operator for over a decade, she has had radio as a long-standing part of both her technical interests and her community involvement.She is well known for her leadership, technical presentations on APRS balloons, and active promotion of STEM and youth involvement in ham radio.  She received RCA’s Young Achiever Award in 2021 and Newsline’s Young Ham of The Year Award in 2022.

Outside of engineering, Audrey enjoys exploring Atlanta and spending time with her cat, Toby.

Dr. Ajay Poddar is an internationally recognized leader in radio science and engineering, with a more than 35-year career spanning fundamental research, technological innovation, and global impact. He has served as Chief Scientist for Synergy Microwave Corporation since 2001. His pioneering work spans ultra-low phase-noise signal generation, precision frequency control, radio transmitters and receivers, advanced antenna systems, microwave and millimeter-wave electronics, and sophisticated signal processing. His innovations have strengthened the foundations of modern radio science while enabling advances in aerospace, radio astronomy, satellite communications, navigation, defense, and humanitarian technologies.

A particularly meaningful influence on Dr. Poddar’s career was his scientific association with Nobel Laureate Dr. Arno A. Penzias. Through numerous technical discussions on radio astronomy, pulsar observations, the search for extraterrestrial life, and the challenges of detecting extremely weak signals from deep space, Dr. Poddar was inspired to pursue increasingly sensitive and precise radio technologies.

Dr. Poddar is an accomplished author, inventor, mentor, and technical leader. Dr. Poddar’s enduring contributions continue to advance radio science and technologies, serving both science and humanity. He has received numerous awards, including the Radio Club of America’s Armstrong Medal and the IEEE IFCS W. G. Cady Award. He is an IEEE Fellow and a member of IEEE Eta-Kappa-Nu. He has served on the RCA board of directors for many years and led many RCA programs.

Dr. Henry Leopold Richter, 99, passed away on August 12, 2026, in Escondido, California. Dr. Richter was a pioneer in space exploration for the United States. Working for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, he was part of the team which put the first US satellite, Explorer 1, successfully into orbit in January 1958.
Henry was born in Long Beach, California, on June 14, 1927, the eldest of Henry L. Richter, Sr., and Catherine Moore Richter’s two children. Early on he showed an aptitude for the sciences. When he was seven years old, his parents turned their dining room into a chemistry lab for him. Growing up in Long Beach, Henry attended schools in the Long Beach public school system. When he was 12 years old, the family moved to Rolling Hills, California. As a teenager Henry had a strong singing voice and joined the St. Lukes Choristers, the men and boys choir of the St. Lukes’s Episcopal Church in Long Beach. The choir did a lot of motion picture work and concerts, the most notable was in the movie “Mrs. Miniver” in 1942. Henry became an amateur ham
radio operator, W6VZA, a hobby that became part of the foundation of his professional career. Henry graduated from Narbonne High School in 1945, with honors, receiving the first medal for science from Bausch & Lomb in the school’s history.
After high school, Henry enlisted in the US Navy. He went to Chicago, Illinois for training and there met his first wife, Marilyn Wood. They were married in Chicago in 1947, and then settled in Pasadena, California. After they returned to California, Henry completed his higher education and graduated from California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena in 1956 with a PhD in Chemistry, Electrical Engineering and Physics. During this time Henry and Marilyn had five children, Gail, Norman, David, Steven and Jan. 
After graduation from Caltech Henry went to work for JPL which was interested in his pre-graduate work investigating nuclear magnetic resonance absorption. He soon became part of the committee working on the design and planning of the first US earth satellite. His responsibilities included the development of communications with the satellite. Prior to the successful launch and orbital flight of the Explorer 1, Henry had worked with the San Gabriel Valley Radio Club to set up satellite tracking stations throughout the US, which were operational during the launch of the Russian satellite, Sputnik 1.
Henry left JPL in 1960 and accepted a position at Electro Optical Systems (EOS) as a division manager of contracts with government agencies such as NASA, ARPA, and the Pentagon for projects involving spacecraft instrumentation, electro optical work, and information systems. He became vice president of marketing before leaving EOS to join a startup to develop a new campus for UCLA. That project was not successful and over the next several years Henry engaged in several short-term ventures. He joined the LA County Sherri􀆯’s Department in the mid 1970s as a result of his involvement with ham radio
disaster communications with LA County. He worked his way to the position of Communications Engineer, where he learned a lot about public safety communications. When he left the Sheriff’s Department Henry began telecommunications consulting work
specializing in radio communications for public service agencies throughout the US. He formed several consulting companies during this time, which became The Richter Group, a collaboration of independent telecommunications consultants. Henry continued this work well into his 80s, and was a highly regarded expert in radio telecommunications.
Henry married his second wife, Beverly Ott, who had been his secretary at EOS, in 1970. They moved to Arcadia, California, and then Palm Springs. He continued singing in church choirs throughout his life, including at the Lake Avenue Congregational Church in Pasadena where he and his family were very active for many years. Henry and Beverly moved to
Escondido in 2010 to Meadowbrook Village Christian Retirement Community where they were very active and well respected. Henry served on the Village Council for many years. Henry was ever curious and always looked to expand his  mind. As an example, in his early 90’s he began to learn to paint with watercolors. Both his parents were well and accomplished artists and were an inspiration to him.
The professional organizations Henry belonged to include the American Chemical Society, IEEE, American Geophysical Union, and he was a lifetime member of APCO/CPRA and Radio Club of America (RCA). He received many awards throughout his career including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the RCA in 2019. Throughout his life Henry wrote several books, from scientific documentation to his autobiography. His book America’s Leap Into Space is a highly detailed account of the Explorer 1 and America’s space program.
Henry is survived by his children, daughter Gail Richter Jacobs and son Steven Richter, four grandchildren, six great grandchildren, one great great grandchild and two nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife Beverly, three children, sons Norman and David, daughter Jan Richter Saunchegrow, and his sister Elsa Benguiat.

Tony Rizi is a distinguished military communications and cybersecurity professional whose career reflects more than three decades of service, technical innovation, and dedication to advancing the art and science of communications. A U.S. Navy Senior Chief Cryptologic Technician, Mr. Rizi served from 1991 to 2011, conducting signals intelligence and High Frequency Direction Finding operations and supporting four deployments to the Arabian Gulf, as well as operations in Kosovo and Iraq. He continued his national security work with the Department of Defense in signals and cyber intelligence before earning a PhD in Cyber Operations from Dakota State University.

Today, Mr. Rizi serves as an assistant professor at Augusta University, educating the next generation of cyber and communications professionals. His research focuses on applying AI/ML to cybersecurity challenges, including malware classification, anomaly detection, and threat intelligence. He combines operational experience with applied research to develop practical cyber defense solutions and mentor future cyber professionals.

A dedicated amateur radio operator for more than 30 years, he received numerous operating awards and has designed innovative satellite communications equipment. He also mentors students and schools through amateur radio and ARISS programs, inspiring future communicators and engineers.

Dr. Jack H. Winters is a pioneering wireless communications researcher, inventor, educator, and entrepreneur whose groundbreaking work has helped shape modern wireless technology. During more than two decades at AT&T Labs-Research, he pioneered multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) communications and spatial multiplexing, as well as adaptive and smart antenna technologies for cellular and wireless systems. His innovations contributed to improved wireless capacity, reliability, interference cancellation, and broadband access, and were incorporated into commercial wireless infrastructure. Dr. Winters also made significant advances in high-speed optical communications, pioneering electronic dispersion compensation and adaptive equalization techniques for multi-gigabit systems.

Dr. Winters earned a BSEE at the University of Cincinnati and an MSc and PhD in Electrical Engineering from The Ohio State University. Dr. Winters is an IEEE Fellow and was named as a New Jersey Inventor of the Year. He holds 48 issued U.S. patents, with additional patents pending, and has authored more than 60 journal and 80 conference papers. He has served as an IEEE Distinguished Lecturer and editor for IEEE Transactions on Communications. Today, he continues advancing communications technology as an entrepreneur.

Mike Wolf is the founder of Eastern Communications. He is a respected leader in the wireless communications industry, recognized for his values-driven leadership, industry influence, and commitment to developing others. Founded in 1976, Eastern evolved under Mike’s leadership from a CB repair shop into a leading provider of mission-critical communications systems serving public safety, transportation, utilities, and other critical-infrastructure organizations.

For more than 25 years, Mike served as Chairman of the Dealer Advisory Board at General Electric, Ericsson, M/A-COM, and Harris Corporation, earning the trust of manufacturers and channel partners by finding common ground and creating solutions that benefited all stakeholders.

In 2017, Mike established Eastern’s Implementation Assurance Program, helping radio dealers across the country expand their capabilities to successfully deliver complex communications systems. Throughout his career, Mike has led with integrity, fairness, respect, and a commitment to mentoring others, leaving a lasting impact on both the organizations he built and the professionals he helped develop, and reflecting the legacy of leadership represented by the Jay Kitchen Award.

FELLOWS

Steve Floyd earned a BSEE from Virginia Tech. He is a former student DJ and Chief Engineer at WUVT-FM in Blacksburg, VA. He earned an MSEE (with an emphasis on RF and Microwave Engineering and Radar Systems Engineering) from The Johns Hopkins University in 1991. He became a licensed Amateur Radio operator at 12 years old and is active as W4YHD. He acquired his First Class FCC Radiotelephone License at the age of 17. Mr. Floyd began his professional career designing high-power RF communications and Radar systems at E-Systems Inc., then became Chief RF Systems Design Engineer for the HAARP program, working at APTI/BAE Systems. As Chief Engineer for the HAARP facility, Steve was responsible for all hardware systems designs, equipment installations, and site operations until 2014, when he became a part-time Chief Engineer and consultant to the program. His current responsibilities primarily involve the design of high-power SDR-based Radar systems, including EW and Communications systems, at Ultra Electronics. Steve is also active in the broadcast industry. He is an active Society of Broadcast Engineers member of DC Chapter 37, and a member of the Association of Federal Communications Consulting Engineers.  Steve has a lifelong love of radio broadcasting and amateur radio. Mr. Floyd received the Radio Club of America’s Sarnoff Citation in 2023.

Rachel Jones is an educator, space and cybersecurity researcher, STEM mentor, and radio communications and aerospace specialist whose interdisciplinary work addresses the unique security challenges facing space-based systems. Combining expertise in cybersecurity, aerospace, and radio communications, Ms. Jones is passionate about translating complex technical concepts into engaging, hands-on learning experiences for students and early-career scientists.

Her work includes applied research advancing cybersecurity for aerospace technologies, inclusive STEM initiatives designed to develop diverse technical talent, and partnerships that connect academic research with industry needs. She is currently completing her PhD in Aerospace Sciences at the University of North Dakota, where her dissertation focuses on creating an open-source space cybersecurity curriculum for undergraduate students.

Her professional interests and publications include satellite cybersecurity, space systems, and amateur radio applications in space. Rachel is committed to mentoring the next generation of scientists and fostering collaboration through research, presentations, and STEM outreach.

Douglas Kwiatkowski is a wireless telecommunications executive with 20+ years of leadership experience spanning private LTE, CBRS network architecture, RF engineering, and enterprise wireless infrastructure. As Vice President of Engineering at Extreme Engineering Solutions, he leads engineering strategy and execution for private wireless, RF network design, and enterprise connectivity solutions serving Fortune 100 companies, municipalities, and government agencies.

Mr. Kwiatkowski has been at the forefront of private wireless innovation, serving as an early adopter of CBRS-based deployments since 2018. His career includes leadership roles with RF Connect, Urban Wireless Solutions, KLA Laboratories, and Verizon Wireless, where he has guided complex wireless deployments and advanced network design.

His expertise encompasses DAS, 5G network planning, smart-city connectivity, and carrier integration, including collaboration with Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. He holds degrees in electrical engineering, business administration, and an MBA from Lawrence Technological University.

Geoffrey N. Mendenhall, P.E., is a renowned RF engineering consultant and one of the broadcast industry’s leading experts in AM and FM transmission technology. With an extraordinary 55-year career developing broadcast equipment technology, Mendenhall has held senior engineering and technology leadership positions with Broadcast Electronics and Harris Broadcast, later serving as a technology advisor to GatesAir. He also contributed his expertise as a Spectrum Repack Engineering Consultant to the FCC.

Mr. Mendenhall has authored more than 60 technical papers and presentations on DTV and radio technology, and his work on FM and digital radio broadcast transmitters appears in the 8th, 9th, and 10th editions of the NAB Engineering Handbook. He holds nine  U.S. patents related to broadcast transmission equipment and is a Registered Professional Engineer.

His achievements include the 1999 NAB Radio Engineering Achievement Award, 2008 Harris Engineering Fellow recognition, and the 2011 IEEE Broadcast Symposium Best Paper Award.

Nick Pennance is a wireless industry executive and communications engineer with extensive experience spanning engineering, product development, sales, and executive leadership. Originally from England, he earned a BEng (Hons) in Communications Engineering from the University of Plymouth. He began his career with Bell Northern Research, later Nortel Networks, developing embedded software for optical networks before joining Tait Communications in New Zealand, where he led the design of P25 subscriber equipment. In 2010, Nick moved to the United States to focus on P25 sales, certifications, and compliance.

His leadership career includes senior roles with Icom and Tait, including Vice President of Engineering, President of Tait Americas, and Chief Revenue Officer. Today, as Vice President of Engineering at Eastern Communications, he drives innovation and delivers mission-critical solutions for public safety and enterprise customers.

Nick serves as Executive Vice President of the Radio Club of America and on the board of the Enterprise Wireless Alliance. He is also an Extra Class amateur radio operator.

Dominic “Nick” Tusa has been a member of the Radio Club of America since 1993 and is an Extra Class amateur radio operator (K5EF). A respected radio engineer and consultant, Mr. Tusa has designed scores of land mobile radio and microwave communication systems throughout a career spanning more than four decades.

He began his career with Exxon Company USA in 1978. Mr. Tusa entered contract radio engineering in 1980 and founded Crescent Radio Electronics in 1984. In 1991, he established Tusa Consulting Services, later expanding the firm to Tusa Consulting Services II, LLC. His approach to system design emphasizes resilience, including site hardening, disaster preparedness, and eliminating single points of failure. That philosophy proved invaluable during Hurricane Katrina, when systems he designed remained operational despite widespread communications failures.

Mr. Tusa was mentored by amateur radio pioneer Wes Schum, whose story he chronicled in Wes Schum: Amateur Radio’s Unsung Hero. Today, Mr. Tusa remains active in the wireless industry and amateur radio.

Captain Jack Varnado, RPL, has devoted nearly four decades to public safety and emergency communications. He began his public safety career in 1986 as a volunteer firefighter. He entered emergency communications in 1989 with East Baton Rouge Parish EMS/911. During his career, he advanced to Chief of Communications and served in Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness before becoming Deputy Director of the St. Tammany Parish Communications District.

In 2013, Jack joined the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office, where he served as Captain of the Communications Division and later became 9-1-1 Director. He currently oversees the transition to Louisiana’s first true Next Generation 9-1-1 system and a new cloud-based CAD system.

A dedicated educator and industry leader, Jack served as an adjunct instructor with the APCO Institute for 18 years and conducted emergency communications training internationally, including in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. He has served as President and Immediate Past President of APCO International and on its Board of Directors, representing the Gulf Coast Region.