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 Duke Appointments & Affiliations
William H. Younger Distinguished Professor of Engineering
·
2019 - Present
Pierre R. Lamond Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering,
Pratt School of Engineering
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
·
2012 - Present
Pierre R. Lamond Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering,
Pratt School of Engineering
Associate Chair of Faculty Affairs in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
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2024 - Present
Pierre R. Lamond Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering,
Pratt School of Engineering
Bass Fellow
·
2012 - Present
Pierre R. Lamond Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering,
Pratt School of Engineering
Recent Scholarly Works
Observations and mechanisms of thunderstorm lightning effects in the lower ionosphere11Given his/her/their role as editor-in-chief, Xiushu Qie had no involvement in the peer-review of this article and has no access to information regarding its peer-review. Full responsibility for the editorial process for this article was delegated to another journal editor.”
Journal article Atmospheric Research · December 1, 2026 As a violent energy release process in the troposphere, the effects of thunderstorms extend far beyond the lower atmosphere. Through mechanisms such as Transient Luminous Events (TLEs), Atmospheric Gravity Waves (AGWs), and various forms of energetic parti ... Full text CiteMeasurements of Nighttime Ionospheric E and F Layers Using AM Radio Signals
Journal article Journal of Geophysical Research Space Physics · July 1, 2026 Commercial AM radio transmissions (0.54–1.7 MHz) in the medium-frequency (MF, 0.3–3 MHz) band provide a promising yet underexplored resource for ionospheric remote sensing. Building on previous work, this study aims to distinguish different variabilities i ... Full text CiteBackward Darts and the Subsequent Scattered Discharges Occurring Along Lightning Positive Leader Branches
Journal article Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres · May 28, 2026 We used the LOw-Frequency ARray (LOFAR) to identify two new types of lightning discharges occurring along the tracks of earlier positive leaders. The first is a kind of intracloud dart leader that we call a “backward dart” whose behavior appears counterint ... 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
Stanford University ·
1997
Ph.D.
Stanford University ·
1993
M.S.E.E.
Stanford University ·
1991
B.S.E.E.