Support the Future of Wireless Technology
Wireless Institute
The Wireless Institute at the University of Notre Dame is a leader in advancing the science and technology of wireless communication systems. From next-generation 5G/6G networks to spectrum sharing, cybersecurity, and satellite communications, our research and faculty are solving everyday wireless challenges.
Since its founding in 2010, the Institute has brought together engineers, scientists, and industry leaders to drive innovation. This work impacts everything from rural connectivity and public safety to national defense and global commerce.
The Wireless Institute builds on a proud legacy of innovation—dating back to 1899 when Notre Dame Professor Jerome Green transmitted the first wireless messages in the United States. That legacy and pioneering spirit still drives our mission today as the Institute continues to advance the science and technology behind modern wireless communication.
Perhaps most importantly though, is the deep committed to student support and development. Through hands-on research opportunities, mentorships, and access to state-of-the-art labs, we prepare the next generation of wireless engineers to lead with knowledge, purpose, and creativity.
James L. Massey Endowment
To honor Dr. Massey’s legacy, we invite you to support the James L. Massey Endowment for Excellence. Your gift directly supports graduate students who are sharing their research at national conferences – opening doors for collaboration, visibility, and career-defining opportunities. These experiences not only strengthen their academic work but also reflect Dr. Massey’s lifelong belief in sharing knowledge and inspiring others to push the boundaries of what’s possible. Your support ensures that his passion for innovation and education continues to inspire future leaders in engineering.
Dr. James L. Massey (1934–2013) was a pioneer in digital communications. His work helped transform the technologies that connect our modern world. A proud Notre Dame alumnus (B.S.E.E. ’56), he went on to earn his M.S. and Ph.D. from MIT before returning to Notre Dame as the University’s first endowed professor of electrical engineering. His early research on threshold decoding became foundational to modern error correction, while his later collaborations with NASA advanced deep-space communications, enabling missions that transmitted the first images from Halley’s Comet.
Beyond his technical brilliance, Dr. Massey was an extraordinary teacher and mentor. His career at ETH Zurich and beyond, influenced generations of engineers and cryptographers around the world. Recognized with the IEEE Alexander Graham Bell Medal and the Marconi Prize, he remains celebrated for both his intellect and his dedication to students.
By contributing to the Massey Endowment, you help ensure that his spirit of excellence and mentorship lives on, empowering tomorrow’s innovators to lead, discover, and make an impact.
Dan Pedtke Equipment Fund
The Wireless Institute invites you to support the Dan Pedtke Equipment Fund, established to celebrate Dan Pedtke’s lifelong passion for wireless technology, electronics, and ham radio, and his deep commitment to helping students learn by doing. Your gift ensures that graduate and undergraduate students in Electrical Engineering have access to the RF components and essential equipment they need to bring their ideas to life, continuing Dan’s legacy of curiosity, craftsmanship, and hands-on innovation at Notre Dame.
Dr. Pedtke joined the Wireless Institute in November 2022, bringing with him decades of expertise in electrical engineering and radio-frequency design. A proud Notre Dame graduate, his career began in 1978 and spanned generations of technological change. Returning to campus and to South Bend was a homecoming that filled him with joy—sharing his knowledge, mentoring students, and seeing their excitement as theory became real in the lab.
Although Dan passed away on May 6, 2024, after a courageous battle with brain cancer, his influence continues to shape the students and projects he inspired. If you would like to honor Dr. Pedtke’s memory and help future engineers follow in his footsteps, please consider a gift to the Dan Pedtke Equipment Fund. Your generosity will help ensure that Dan’s spirit of innovation and mentorship endures for years to come.
