Class of 2024: Jonathan Lundquist didn’t have to look far for inspiration that led to three degrees from VCU

By Leila Ugincius

In 2016, Jonathan Lundquist had a great job, a great boss and a great deal of uncertainty about getting an undergraduate degree.

He also has a great wife.

"Sometimes we support each other directly, but we also strive to be a source of inspiration to each other when we can," Lundquist said of Shellie.

Watching his wife work so hard to earn her own undergraduate degree from Virginia Commonwealth University was the push Lundquist needed to pursue college after Navy service and career work. He ended up earning not only his bachelor's degree but his master's as well - and this summer, he received his Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from the VCU College of Engineering.

Studying engineering was a natural choice for Lundquist. He had worked in technical trades his entire life, first as a nuclear mechanic in the Navy and then as a technician at CATLab, which is now Control Automation Technologies Laboratories.

"I worked in nuclear power in the Navy for the better part of a decade" - from 2004 to 2013 - "and that informed my idea of the importance of engineers as we try to improve the world for a better future," Lundquist said. "My hope is that through research, we can come up with solutions to reduce scarcity, improve the environment, secure American energy and minimize global conflict."

As an undergrad, Lundquist met Erdem Topsakal, Ph.D., senior associate dean for strategic initiatives and enrollment management in VCU Engineering, and the professor's research into microwave engineering complemented his own pursuits.

Topsakal became Lundquist's undergraduate capstone advisor and independent study instructor. Later, as a graduate student, Lundquist joined Topsakal's research group.

While working on his independent study project on high-frequency radio waves, Lundquist developed two courses, which he taught at the college: Introduction to Microwave Engineering and Microwave System Design.

"The first course deals predominantly with passive microwave components," such as stripline filters, antennas, cylindrical waveguides and microstrip transmission lines, Lundquist said. "These components do not have an external power source. In this course I usually have the students build a radio telescope as their final project."

For the final project in the second class - an active components course - students must build a radar using phase shifters, oscillators, modulators, active filters, amplifiers, ferrite components and radar systems.

"I put a lot of focus on real-world examples and experiential learning," Lundquist said. "I like my students to walk away knowing they've had the experience of building something that actually does something cool."

Lundquist credits Topsakal ("the biggest influence during my time at VCU"), engineering foundation professor Ümit Özgür, Ph.D. ("by far one of the best instructors at VCU") and associate professor Vitaliy Avrutin, Ph.D. ("a great influence on my time here and … an excellent instructor") for his success at VCU. In addition to electrical and computer engineering faculty, Lundquist recognizes math professors from the College of Humanities and Sciences - including Craig Larson, Ph.D.; Laura Ellwein Fix, Ph.D.; and Rebecca Segal, Ph.D. - as a big influence on his graduate experience.

Still, he said, it's his wife who deserves the most credit.

"Shellie and I have always pushed each other to do the best we could do," Lundquist said. "Sometimes we are both struggling at the same time, but we find the time to support and listen to each other and encourage each other to perform at our top level. It's always worth giving it your best shot, and always worth straining to achieve what you believe is just beyond your grasp."

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