2025–2026 Best ECE Graduate Research Awards Announced
March 24, 2026
The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering recently announced two Ph.D. students as recipients of the 2025–2026 Best Graduate Research Award: Bidya Debnath and Tahmid Ibne Mannan.
Bidya Debnath’s doctoral research focuses on the practical experimental demonstration of UAV swarm-based phased-array antenna systems, transforming distributed beamforming into deployable airborne platforms. She has physically demonstrated flying UAV swarm-based arrays that achieve coherent beam steering, scalable high gain, near-isotropic scan-range coverage with practical antenna elements, and stable radiation under real-flight conditions. She developed DC/RF magnetic connectors that enable mid-flight docking, creating a continuous low-loss RF path and power-transfer capability for extended endurance while eliminating complex synchronization requirements in distributed phased arrays. Her work has resulted in multiple publications in IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, and her journal article on the experimental UAV swarm-based Yagi–Uda array was recognized as one of the five most-read papers in May 2025. Her major professor is Junming Diao.
Tahmid Ibne Mannan’s doctoral research focuses on conducted electromagnetic interference (EMI) in medium-voltage (MV) wide-bandgap power electronic systems, addressing measurement architecture, active EMI filter bandwidth limitations, and long-term compliance reliability. His research in two federally funded projects has led to the development of a patented medium-voltage Line Impedance Stabilization Network (LISN) and multiple peer-reviewed publications in IEEE Transactions and IEEE conferences, advancing scalable EMI measurement and mitigation methodologies for next-generation MV converter platforms. His major professor is Seungdeog Choi.
These achievements underscore the department’s sustained commitment to excellence in graduate research and innovation. The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Mississippi State University consists of 27 faculty members (including seven endowed professors), seven professional staff, and over 700 undergraduate and graduate students, with approximately 100 being at the Ph.D. level. With a research expenditure of over $14.24 million, the department houses the largest High Voltage Laboratory among North American universities.