University Park, Pa. -- A historical marker commemorating ionospheric research will be installed at 4 p.m. on Friday, April 28, in the mulched area near the front entrance of Electrical Engineering East.
The marker reads, "In 1963 Faculty And Students In The Electrical Engineering Dept's Ionosphere Research Lab Developed A Radio Wave Cross-Modulation Facility Consisting Of A High-Power Transmitter And Antenna Beamed To The Ionosphere. It Furthered Our Understanding Of The Upper Atmosphere And Allowed For Improved Methods To Optimize Long-Distance Communications. The First Of Its Kind In The Western Hemisphere, The Facility Was Inspired By Arthur Waynick, The Lab's Founder And Director."
Anthony Ferraro, distinguished professor emeritus of electrical engineering, led the effort to have an historical marker put in place.
"It's remembering history that could be forgotten. When people come up to the walkway of the building they'll see the sign and know that great things happened in the building under Waynick's watch," he said.
Waynick joined the Department of Electrical Engineering in 1947 and served as head and as the first departmental A. Robert Noll professor. In 1949 he founded the Ionosphere Research Laboratory, later to become the Communications and Space Sciences Laboratory, and served as its director until his retirement in 1971.
The dedication ceremony is open to the public and will be followed by a reception in the Waynick Conference Room, 321 EE East.
The Penn State historical marker program is funded by the Penn State Alumni Association and administered by the Office of University Relations. The blue-and-white markers commemorate important historical events and achievements at the University. The program thus far includes 72 markers at nine Penn State campuses, including 58 markers at University Park. Visit http://www.psu.edu/ur/about/markers.html for more information.