Overview
Dr. Steven Cummer received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University in 1997 and prior to joining Duke University in 1999 he spent two years at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center as an NRC postdoctoral research associate. Awards he has received include a National Science Foundation CAREER award and a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) in 2001. His current work is in a variety of theoretical and experimental electromagnetic problems related to geophysical remote sensing and engineered electromagnetic materials.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
William H. Younger Distinguished Professor of Engineering
·
2019 - Present
Electrical and Computer Engineering,
Pratt School of Engineering
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
·
2012 - Present
Electrical and Computer Engineering,
Pratt School of Engineering
Associate Chair of Faculty Affairs in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
·
2024 - Present
Electrical and Computer Engineering,
Pratt School of Engineering
Bass Fellow
·
2012 - Present
Electrical and Computer Engineering,
Pratt School of Engineering
Recent Publications
Topological acoustofluidics.
Journal Article Nature materials · May 2025 The complex interaction of spin, valley and lattice degrees of freedom allows natural materials to create exotic topological phenomena. The interplay between topological wave materials and hydrodynamics could offer promising opportunities for visualizing t ... Full text CiteThunderstorm Charge Distribution Determination Using Cosmic Rays Induced Air Showers and Lightning Imaging at LOFAR
Journal Article Geophysical Research Letters · April 28, 2025 The LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR) radio telescope possesses the unique capability to measure ultra-high energy cosmic rays as well as image lightning discharges. This study presents a comparison between the inferred thunderstorm charge structures derived fro ... Full text CiteObservation of two-dimensional acoustic bound states in the continuum
Journal Article Communications Physics · December 1, 2024 The design of devices based on acoustic or optical fields requires the fabrication of cavities and structures capable of efficiently trapping these waves. A special type of cavity can be designed to support resonances with a theoretically infinite quality ... Full text CiteRecent Grants
MRI: Track 1 Development of a Multi-Band Radio and Optical Lightning Imager
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2024 - 2027CEDAR: Large-scale detection of cloud-to-ionosphere electrical discharges and quantifying their effect on the ionosphere
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2022 - 2026Continent-scale low frequency lightning remote sensing
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2020 - 2025View All Grants
Education, Training & Certifications
Stanford University ·
1997
Ph.D.
Stanford University ·
1993
M.S.E.E.
Stanford University ·
1991
B.S.E.E.