Microwaves in the Mile-high City

Microwaves in the Mile-High City

The 1997 MTT-S International Microwave Symposium (IMS) and Exhibition in Denver is scheduled to dazzle attendees while making its long-awaited return to Colorado following a 24-year hiatus. After setting an all-time attendance record in San Francisco in 1996, the event is poised for a repeat performance from its central location at the base of the breathtaking Rocky Mountains. Symposium activities begin Sunday, June 8 and will continue through Friday, June 13. The Colorado Convention Center, located within easy walking distance of all of the downtown hotels, will house all symposium sessions as well as the industry exhibition.

As in past years, the RFIC Symposium (formerly the Microwave and Millimeter-wave Circuits (MMWMC) Symposium) and the Automatic RF Techniques Group (ARFTG) Conference will be held concurrently during Microwave Week '97, and the Microwave Application and Product Seminars (mAPS) are entering their second year on the technical agenda. The technical program includes 432 refereed technical papers, 24 professional development workshops and seven panel and rump sessions. A schedule of events appears on pages 34 and 35.

Transportation

Getting to Denver
Denver is located at the intersection of Interstates 70 and 25. From the Denver International Airport (DIA), take Pe -a Boulevard to I-70 West to I-25 South. Exit at Speer Boulevard South and follow signs for "Convention & Performing Arts Complex." Turn left on Arapahoe ; a covered parking garage on your right is approximately $4/day. Or continue on to 14th Street, turn right and you will pass the Colorado Convention Center. Off-street parking nearby typically runs $10/day. All of the IMS hotels offer parking at $15-$30/day.

SuperShuttle will provide discounted roundtrip-only tickets ($25) to all downtown IMS sites. Vehicles depart DIA every 15 minutes. Purchase tickets at the SuperShuttle counter on the Baggage Claim level near the center of the terminal. Please use meeting ID number MTT970601.

For public bus service, look for RTD skyRide Route AF. Service is available at least hourly and reaches the 16th Street Mall in less than an hour. Tickets are $6, exact change only.

Official Airlines
United Airlines is the official airline of IMS '97. For service in the US or Canada, United offers five percent off the lowest applicable discount fare, or 10 percent off full-fare coach seats purchased at least three days in advance. Call the United Meeting Desk at (800) 521-4041 and reference meeting ID number 504SD.

Car Rentals
Avis, the official rent-a-car agency of IMS '97, offers special meeting rates starting at $39.99 daily, $112.99 weekly and $16.99 weekend days for subcompact cars, with unlimited free mileage. Should a better promotional rate be available at conference time, attendees will be entitled to five percent off that lower rate. Call the Avis Meeting Reservation Desk at (800) 331-1600 and reference meeting ID number A606092.

Hotels

Blocks of rooms at several high quality hotels located in close proximity to the Colorado Convention Center have been reserved for Microwave Week attandees. The Adam's Mark Hotel will serve as headquarter's hotel.

Guest Programs

A diverse collection of interesting tours and excursions have been planned at locations around the Denver area for guests of Symposium attendees. All tours originate at the hospitality suite, the Central City Room in the Brown Palace Hotel at 321 17th Street. Advance reservations are recommended as tours are booked on a first-come, first-served basis. Choices include a half-day tour of Denver attractions such as the Colorado State Capitol, the "Unsinkable" Molly Brown's house and Ninth Street Historic Park; Rocky Mountain National Park, with stops in Boulder and Estes Park; a walking tour through Denver's historic Lower Downtown (LoDo) district, including Union Station and Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies; a behind-the-scenes look at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts followed by coffee and a dessert buffet; and a tour of the US Air Force Academy, shopping in Old Colorado City and a visit to the red rock formations of the Garden of the Gods.

The Microwave Journal/MTT-S Reception

Microwave Journal and MTT-S have secured exclusive use of the Denver Museum of Natural History on Monday, June 9 and invite all Microwave Week attendees and exhibitors to a reception from 6:00 to 10:00 pm. Tours of internationally acclaimed exhibits will be available, along with the opportunity to view a captivating IMAX film on creating special effects for modern cinema. Beverages and hors d'oeuvres will be served. Bus service to the museum from the Colorado Convention Center runs from 5:30 to 7:00 pm; service from the hotels to the museum will begin at 6:45 pm. Return buses to IMS hotels will run from 7:00 to 10:00 pm.

Microwave Industry Exhibition

This year's microwave industry exhibition comprises over 300 microwave subassembly, component, device, material, instrument and design software suppliers, and will be housed on the upper floor of the Colorado Convention Center. Exhibition hours are 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on Tuesday, June 10 and Wednesday, June 11, and 9:00 am to 3:00 pm on Thursday, June 12. A list of exhibitors and their booth numbers can be found starting on page 132. A floor plan of the exhibition hall can be found on page 138.

The Historical Exhibit

The MTT-S Historical Exhibit will be located conveniently in the midst of the commercial exhibition area in the Colorado Convention Center. This year's exhibit includes displays from the Historical Electronics Museum of Baltimore; MMIC devices from Raytheon Co., Andover, MA; and mm-wave equipment used over 100 years ago by J.C. Bose, whose work has formed the basis for our present-day knowledge of the quasi-optical properties of very short electromagnetic waves. Some early standards of power, attenuation and noise from NIST in Boulder will also be displayed.

The Technical Program

The conference theme "High Frequencies in High Places" focuses attention on Denver as a hub of the wireless, cable and spaceborne telecommunications industries. This year's technical agenda includes 432 refereed technical papers that will be presented in 52 platform sessions and two interactive forum (poster) sessions on Tuesday through Thursday. Afternoon sessions are scheduled to end at 5:10 pm this year to allow for more free evening time. The Microwave Application and Product Seminars (mAPS) will be held on the exhibition floor for the second year and include 38 papers in a one-track format. The newly re-named RFIC Symposium and the ARFTG Conference are again being held in conjunction with Microwave Week on Monday and Tuesday, and Friday, respectively.

The Plenary Session

The Plenary Session is scheduled for Tuesday, June 10 from 10:10 am to 12:00 pm. Guest presentations will be made by Bernard B. Bossard, chief technical officer and co-founder of CellularVision USA, and Robert Dixon, chief scientist at Omnipoint Corp. Bossard will address the future of the local multipoint distribution system, a cellular television network poised for rapid growth. In his presentation "Will the Real PCS Please Stand Up?" Dixon will discuss the impediments to real technological innovation in personal communications services.

Rump Session

The IMS Rump Session will take place Tuesday, June 10 from 7:00 to 9:00 pm in the Grand Ballroom of the Adam's Mark Hotel. The agenda features eight talks on the state of the art in HF, VHF and UHF technology, followed by an open discussion on future MTT-S activities in these areas. Presentation topics include "RF Power Transistors for Use below 1 GHz," "Transmission Line Transformers," "High Efficiency Transmitters and Power Amplifiers," "Feedforward Amplifiers for High Linearity," "RFID: Overview of Technology," "Solid-state RF Generators as Plasmsa and Laser Drivers," "HF/VHF Antenna Systems" and "CAD Techniques for HF and VHF."

Fellows

The grade of Fellow is conferred by invitation in recognition of unusual professional distinction. This year, 12 MTT-S members were elected to the grade of IEEE Fellow, including H. Clark Bell, Kazuhiko Honjo, Asher Madjar, Toshio Nishikawa, Anthony M. Pavio, Roger D. Pollard, Gabriel M. Rebeiz, S. Michael Saad, Alwyn J. Seeds, Richard V. Snyder, T.C. Gerhard Sollner and Cheng Paul Wen. In addition, 11 MTT-S members were elevated to Fellow by other IEEE societies. They include Trevor S. Bird, Francis X. Canning, Ioan M.R. Ciric, Jeannine H. Henaff, Karl J. Langenberg, Dennis P. Nyquist, Zong Sha, Donald H. Sinnott, Robert C. Smythe, Michael T. Tuley and Kane Shee-Gong Yee.

Social Highlights

Industry-hosted Cocktail Reception
Symposium exhibitors will host a cocktail reception at the Adam's Mark Hotel on Wednesday, June 11 from 5:45 to 7:15 pm. Complimentary beverage tickets will be included in registration packages, and additional tickets will be available for purchase during the reception.

IEEE MTT-S Awards Banquet
The annual IEEE MTT-S Awards Banquet will follow the cocktail reception in the Grand Ballroom of the Adam's Mark Hotel from 7:30 to 10:00 pm. During an elegant dinner and after the presentation of MTT-S technical and service awards, Denver's own "Four Hands, Two Grands" will provide piano entertainment.

MTT-S Member Breakfasts
New to Microwave Week this year are two complimentary, buffet-style breakfasts scheduled for MTT-S members Tuesday, June 10 and Wednesday, June 11 from 7:00 to 8:00 am in Ballroon 1 of the Colorado Convention Center. Individuals who are not members currently are welcome to sign up for MTT-S and IEEE membership in the conference registration area before taking advantage of the breakfasts. MTT-S membership is free during the first year for those joining IEEE during IMS. IEEE members can join MTT-S for $8 per year.

Awards

Microwave Career Award
The highest honor bestowed by the MTT-S, the Microwave Career Award recognizes Dr. Ralph Levy, an internationally known independent consultant, for a career of innovation in the synthesis of complex microwave passive components.

Pioneer Award
The Pioneer Award recognizes contributions that have made a major impact on the field and have stood the test of time. This year, Drs. Ali E. Atia and Albert E. Williams are honored for the invention of dual-mode generalized waveguide cavity filters, a major advance in the development of satellite communications.

Microwave Prize
The Microwave Prize is awarded annually to the author or authors of a paper published in the IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques or any other IEEE publication that is judged to be the most significant contribution in the field of interest to the Society in the calendar year preceding that in which the selection is made. The 1997 Microwave Prize is awarded to Ruai Y. Yu, Madhukar Reddy, Joe Pusi, Scott T. Allen, Michael Case and Mark J.W. Rodwell for their paper entitled "Millimeter-wave On-wafer Waveform and Network Measurements Using Active Probes," IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, Vol. 43, No. 4, April 1995, pp. 721-729.

Distinguished Service Award
The Distinguished Service Award honors an individual who has given outstanding service over a period of many years for the benefit and advancement of the MTT-S. Vladimir G. Gelnovatch, acting director of the Physical Sciences Directorate of the US Army Research Laboratory, is recognized for 36 years of diligent, exceptionally effective and distinguished service to the Microwave Theory and Techniques Society and the microwave profession.

Distinguished Educator Award
Inspired by the untimely death of microwave science teacher and dedicated MTT-S AdCom member/contributor Professor F.J. Rosenbaum, the Distinguished Educator Award is presented to a distinguished educator recognized in general by an academic career coupled with many years of service to the microwave profession. Dr. David B. Rutledge of the California Institute of Technology is the recipient of this year's award for leadership in teaching, research and the microwave profession. Rutledge has served as chairman for 19 doctoral candidates and has authored or co-authored over 200 publications. He received the Microwave Prize in 1993.

N. Walter Cox Award
The N. Walter Cox Award has been established in recognition of the qualities of N. Walter Cox and his service to the MTT-S prior to his untimely death in 1988. It is presented periodically to a Society volunteer whose efforts on behalf of the MTT-S best exemplify his spirit and dedication. This year, Dr. Reynold S. Kagiwada, advanced technology manager at TRW, is recognized for exemplary service given in a spirit of selfless dedication and cooperation. Kagiwada has served the MTT-S in a number of key Microwave Symposia and AdCom positions, including as MTT-S President in 1992.

General Information

Information and pamphlets about the Denver area will be available at a booth located in the central corridor of the convention center connecting to Lobby A. A message center will be located in the registration area. The telephone number is (303) 446-4329.

While some concerns have been voiced about other events that are scheduled to take place in Denver during Microwave Week, namely the G-7 Economic Summit and the Oklahoma City bombing trial, Denver officials are confident that the Symposium and its attendees, along with day-to-day business in the city, will not be affected in any way.

Denver Diversions

Microwave Week has been purposely packed with a seemingly endless list of activities that are both informative and social. Still, you may want to set aside some additional time to explore this picturesque area nestled at the base of the beautiful Rocky Mountains on your own. For a sampling of local attractions and eateries, see "Explore the Centennial State!" beginning on page 46.

Microwaves in the Mile-high City

Important features of the 1997 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium and Exhibition, as well as information on reaching Denver and navigating the events of Microwave Week