Carey Rappaport
COE Distinguished Professor,
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Associate Director,
CenSSIS
Director,
ALERT
Deputy Director,
SENTRY
Contact
- rappaport@ece.northeastern.edu
- 316 Stearns Center
360 Huntington Ave
Boston, MA 02115
Social Media
Office
- 617.373.2043
Research Focus
Electromagnetics, antennas, computational modeling, imaging radar hardware and alogorithms, bioelectromagnetic sensing and treatment
About
Consulting:
- Geo-centers, Inc.: Mine detection, sensor design and modeling
- Tower Resources, Inc.: expert opinion on mobile phone based station transmission safety
- Cities of Reading and Milton, MA: Cellular telephone health effects analysis
- Mobile Brand Builder: Sports radar applications
- PPG, Inc.: Microwave industrial heating applications
Research:
- Antenna design
- Reflectors for scanning and high-performance systems
- bootlace scanning lenses
- Wideband antennas
- Wave propagation in complex media
- Random media and boundary effects
- Frequency-dependant materials
- Surface and volumetric clutter
- Computational modeling
- Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) modeling in realistic media
- Finite Difference Frequency Domain (FDFD) modeling with accelerated computational efficiency
- Semi-Analytic Mode Matching (SAMM) method
- Scientific visualization
- Biomedical Microwaves device design and analysis
- Cardiac ablation catheter design
- Microwave assisted ballon angioplasty
- Microwave hyperthermia for cancer treatment
- Subsurface sensing system design and integration
- Land mine detection
- Buried contaminant and pollutant sensing
- Ground penetrating radar systems
- Subsurface sensor system design
Education
- PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1987
Honors & Awards
- Fellow, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
- Distinguished Lecturer, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
- IEEE Distinguished Lecturer–Antennas and Propagation
- Søren Buus Outstanding Research Award
Professional Affiliations
- Eta Kappa Nu
- IEEE – Fellow (2006)
- Sigma Xi – Life Member
Research Overview
Electromagnetics, antennas, computational modeling, imaging radar hardware and alogorithms, bioelectromagnetic sensing and treatment
Reflector, lens, microstrip, and phased array antennas, electromagnetic modeling and computation, subsurface sensing and imaging, explosives detection, security system conceptualization and design. Bioelectromagnetics, microwave tissue imaging, electromagnetic breast cancer detection and treatment, cardiac ablation therapy, microwave assisted balloon angioplasty, catheter-based sensing.
Selected Research Projects
- Awareness and Localization of Explosive-Related Threats (ALERT)
- – Co-Principal Investigator, Department of Homeland Security
- Improved Millimeter Wave Radar AIT Characterization of Concealed Low-Contrast Body-Bourne Threats
- – Principal Investigator, Department of Homeland Security
- Maturation and Validation of Dielectric Characterization Algorithms
- – Co-Principal Investigator, Department of Homeland Security
Research Centers and Institutes
Department Research Areas
Selected Publications
- M. Tajdini, B. Gonzalez-Valdes, J.A. Martinez-Lorenzo, A. Morgenthaler, C. Rappaport, Real-Time Modeling of Forward-Looking Synthetic Aperture Ground Penetrating Radar Scattering From Rough Terrain, IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 57(5), 2019, 2754-2765
- Y. Fuse, B. Gonzalez-Valdes, J.A. Martinez-Lorenzo, C. Rappaport, Model-Based Clutter Reduction Method for Forward Looking Ground Penetrating Radar Imaging Ground Penetrating Radar, 1(2), 2018, 96-112
- C. Rappaport, B. Gonzalez-Valdes, Multistatic Nearfield Imaging Radar for Portal Security Systems Using a High Gain Toroidal Reflector Antenna, European Conference on Antennas and Propagation (EuCAP), Lisbon, Portugal, 2015, *best paper award
Jan 03, 2025
Proposed Security Solutions for Public Spaces
In the aftermath of the New Year’s Eve attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, ECE Distinguished Professor Carey Rappaport highlights the need for improved security measures in public spaces that include physical barriers and innovative architectural solutions.
Dec 07, 2023
2023 Stanford University Annual Assessment of Author Citations
The following COE professors are among the top scientists worldwide selected by Stanford University representing the top 2% of the most-cited scientists with single-year impact in various disciplines. The selection is based on the top 100,000 by c-score (with and without self-citations) or a percentile rank of 2% or above.
Nov 22, 2023
Improving the Safety and Efficiency of Airports
ECE Robert D. Black Distinguished Professor Michael Silevitch and ECE Professor Carey Rappaport have been working with the Department of Homeland Security for the last 15 years to improve safety and efficiency at airports and other public settings.
Nov 05, 2021
$36M DHS Center of Excellence for SENTRY Surveillance System to Protect Public Spaces
Michael Silevitch, Robert D. Black Distinguished Professor of ECE, has been awarded $36 million over 10 years to lead a new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) multi-institutional Center of Excellence, SENTRY (Soft target Engineering to Neutralize the Threat Reality). SENTRY will develop a “Virtual Sentry” system that provides just-in-time information to key decision makers to protect civilian soft targets such as transit stations and schools, and crowded spaces such as stadiums from covert threats.
Aug 20, 2021
NU Team PARIS Wins in Phase 1 of American-Made E-ROBOT Prize
A Northeastern faculty and student team was awarded a $200K prize as a finalist for Phase 1 of the U.S. Department of Energy’s American-Made Challenges E-ROBOT Prize. In Phase 2, up to four teams (from the 10 finalists) will receive a $500K award. The team’s submission proposed development of a Precise Air-sealing Robot for Inaccessible Spaces (PARIS). The Northeastern team is advised by ECE Associate Professor Taskin Padir, CEE Assistant Professor Michael Kane, and ECE Distinguished Professor Carey Rappaport.
Apr 16, 2021
Silevitch to Direct New AI Jumpstart Program
ECE Professor Michael Silevitch will lead a new Massachusetts program, AI Jumpstart, to connect small business owners in the state with academic faculty experts to learn how machine learning can grow their companies. Northeastern received a $2.2 million state grant that will be used primarily for high-speed computer equipment and also to provide for faculty consultants, both of which will be available to selected companies to get the pilot effort up and running. Northeastern kicked in an additional $2 million, raising the program’s total value to more than $4 million.
Mar 02, 2021
The ‘Triple Husky’ Experience
Sarah Brown is a true Northeastern success story: a ‘triple Husky’ who earned her bachelor’s in electrical engineering, E’11, master’s in electrical and computer engineering, ME’14, and a doctorate in […]
Mar 12, 2020
Northeastern Spearheading Advances in Travel Safety
Northeastern’s ALERT (Awareness and Localization of Explosives-Related Threats) is one of nine Department of Homeland (DHS) Security Centers of Excellence (COEs) located across the country. A multi-university center, ALERT conducts research and development for effective responses to explosives-related threats. ALERT is funded by a core grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate that equates to roughly $3.6 million a year. In addition to the Center’s ongoing core research award, DHS also provides each COE with an ability to obtain task order contracts targeted to develop specific security technologies and methods.
Sep 18, 2019
ALERT Receives Patent
ECE Professor Carey Rappaport & MIE/ECE Assistant Professor Jose Martinez-Lorenzo awarded a patent for the “Characterization of dielectric slabs attached to the body using focused millimeter waves.”
Sep 04, 2019
Emily Belk Wins DHS COE Summit Grand Challenge Competition
Computer Engineering and Computer Science BS student, Emily Belk was part of the winning team at the 2019 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Centers of Excellence (COE) Summit Grand Challenge Student Competition held on July 31st at George Mason University in Arlington, Virginia.