Today, we use fifth generation, or 5G, cellular networks so that our phones and other mobile devices can function without being connected to WiFi, and 5G networks still use the concepts of OFDM. Recently Cimini was one of three people awarded the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Eric E. Sumner Technical Field Award “[for] contributions to the theory and practice of Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) for Wireless Communications.” IEEE Communications Society also recognized his significant impact with the  Edwin Howard Armstrong Achievement Award.

“Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) has fundamentally transformed wireless communications, enabling high-speed, reliable, and efficient data transmission in modern networks,” Barner said. “The contributions of Professor Leonard J. Cimini have been instrumental in the development and proliferation of OFDM technology, impacting both academic research and practical applications. His pioneering work continues to inspire advancements in wireless communications, shaping the future of connectivity in an increasingly digital world.”

Building Bridges Through Research 

In 2002, Cimini received a call from Xiang-Gen Xia, Charles Black Evans Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, about an open position at the University of Delaware. Cimini, who had been teaching weekly at Penn while working at AT&T, leveraged his 20 years of research experience to negotiate for a full professor position with tenure in the College of Engineering’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. 

“[Cimini] joining the department put UD ECE on the map regarding top leading research in communications,” Barner explained. 

During his 22 years at UD, a core component of Cimini’s research program has always been about collaboration. He developed working relationships with his friends at other universities such as Lehigh University, the New Jersey Institute of Technology and Princeton University. Cimini and his colleagues secured large grants from the U.S. Air Force and the National Science Foundation. Cimini also developed long standing industry partnerships with Intel, Cisco, Broadcom, AT&T and Lucent. 

One of Cimini’s biggest research collaborations was a project on applying multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) antenna systems to radar with Bell Labs, NJIT and Lehigh. The collaboration led to multiple papers that have thousands of citations and established the theoretical foundations of the field of MIMO radar.

Cimini humbly credits much of his research and academic success to being surrounded by great people and advises students and young professionals to do the same. It’s this focus on collaboration and connection that has been a hallmark of Cimini’s career and its impressive level of impact. 

“What I had were the greatest colleagues you could ever want,” Cimini said. “They were generous, they were friendly, they were smart…they allowed me to do my best work.” 

Inspiring the Next Generation 

Cimini’s team-oriented approach to research has also been a feature of his work in his classroom and how he approached teaching for 22 years here at UD. 

Cimini went above and beyond to make himself available to his students outside of class, so that they could work together on difficult coursework.

“On the first day of class, he gave us his cell phone number and said, ‘You can text me any time of the day if you have any questions,’” said Tyler Rizak, a senior electrical engineering major and former ELEG 305 student of Cimini’s. “Sure enough, there were three different times when I was struggling with a certain problem or concept, I texted him and within thirty minutes he would respond with a well thought out response…and he did that for every student.”

Cimini taught ELEG 305: Signals and Systems for over 20 years. It is a challenging course that teaches electrical and computer engineering students how to apply complicated mathematical concepts related to time and frequency signal characterization, with application examples that include medical imaging, audio processing, and network analysis.  

The mathematical concepts introduced in this class have the potential to be overwhelming, but Cimini always came to the classroom with his own humility on display, frequently admitting when he didn’t know how to directly solve a complicated math problem, and instead focused on breaking the problem down into digestible components that students could better understand. 

Despite the challenges of the course, Cimini believes that students who take ELEG 305 gain important insights, not only from understanding how the math works but also the meaning of the mathematical concepts, a foundation that can help them throughout their careers. 

“Beyond the analytic tools, students learn new perspectives on how to think about both the physical world around them and computers as systems rich with time-varying signals,” said Austin Brockmeier, an assistant professor who currently teaches ELEG 305. 

“His teachings instilled me with an interest in the realm of signal processing,” Rizak said. “Taking his course pushed me towards  not only digital signal processing, but also radio frequency engineering, which also involves a lot of signal processing concepts. Without Dr. Cimini’s course, I doubt that I would have pursued these particular subfields of electrical and computer engineering.”

Powerful Mentorship

Along with helping undergraduates gain insights and discover new opportunities in signal processing, Cimini also served as an advisor to over 20 graduate students. Cimini guided his graduate students under two principles: first, that they should pursue one novel idea with significant impact as opposed to multiple smaller ideas and second, that the simplest answer is often the best answer. 

“Having Dr. Cimini as a mentor was incredibly beneficial for my PhD journey.” said Li Li, an electrical and computer engineering Ph.D alumnus who was advised by Cimini and is now a machine learning engineer at Samsung. “His expert guidance was crucial in helping me navigate complex research challenges, particularly in the field of wireless communications. He encouraged innovative thinking and problem-solving, which was essential for my development as a researcher. Our weekly discussions were a highlight of my Ph.D. experience, providing regular opportunities for feedback and intellectual engagement that greatly enriched my learning process.”

Many students express this sentiment about Cimini, that he is a wonderful person to talk to as well as a wonderful person to learn from. A fitting sentiment since Cimini has built his success through developing meaningful relationships with others so that he can continue to do what he loves: working on a team that creates innovations greater than the sum of its parts. Cimini wisely advises those starting their careers to do what they love and see where it leads. 

“I think the best thing is to figure out what it is you really like to do, and then try your best to do it,” Cimini said. 

He certainly took his own advice — following his passion to Bell Labs and then discovering the groundbreaking application of OFDM that is still used every time someone makes a mobile call. The accomplishments didn’t stop there as Cimini continued to publish innovative research while at UD. Perhaps Cimini’s biggest success is his ability to inspire others with his kindness. Time will tell as his students graduate into the working world and carry on his legacy.