Edward W. Knightly

Edward W. Knightly is the Sheafor-Lindsay Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Professor of Computer Science at Rice University. He serves as Department Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering. His research focuses on wireless networks, urban-scale testbeds, and spectrum access innovations. Knightly holds ACM, IEEE, and Sloan Fellowships, and has received multiple best paper awards at top venues. He leads the Rice Networks Group, deploying large-scale wireless networks like Technology For All (TFA) Wireless, serving over 4,000 users in underserved communities.

Education:

• Ph.D./M.S. in EECS, University of California at Berkeley (1996/1992)
• B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Auburn University (1991)

Research Interests: Design and demonstration of next-generation wireless systems including multi-user beamforming, mmWave/THz communication, and spectrum access up to 60 GHz and beyond. Current projects emphasize autonomous drone networks, security, and urban-scale deployments.

Awards:

• ACM Fellow (2017)
• IEEE Fellow (2009)
• Dynamic Spectrum Alliance Award (2018)
• IEEE INFOCOM Best Paper (2021)

Grants & Advising: Led major NSF-funded projects and chairs academic conferences like ACM MobiHoc and IEEE INFOCOM. Advises on national spectrum policy and serves on scientific councils for IMDEA Networks and INESC TEC.

Labs/Teams: Directs Rice Networks Group, advancing experimental platforms in urban wireless and terahertz communication.