Welcome!

This is the website for the research group headed by Prof. Jonathan Makela at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. We focus on understanding the dynamics of the ionosphere using a combination of optical and radio techniques. This is accomplished through instrument development, experimental campaigns, and data analysis. Our group is part of the Remote Sensing & Space Science group in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering. We are always looking for students interested in becoming involved in our research, especially those with a background in signal/image processing, plasma physics, or optical/radio instrument design.

Our research takes us all around the world. We are currently conducting experiments on two continents, with funding to set up sites at additional locations in the near future. See the map below for our past, current, and future locations.

Graduate Students Wanted

We are currently looking for students interested in pursuing a Ph.D. degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering to join our research group. The successful student should have an interest in remote sensing, electromagnetics, image and/or signal processing. Please contact Prof. Makela if you want to learn more.

In the News...

Recently, the research that our group is performing in South America at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile has received a lot of attention in the popular press. You can read an article picked up by the Associated Press or watch an interview of Prof. Makela on the Weather Channel.