Marconi Society names 2026 Paul Baran Young Scholars

The Marconi Society has selected Malek Itani, Atsutse Kludze and Yiwen Song for its 2026 Paul Baran Young Scholar Award. The researchers will be honored Nov. 4-6 in San Francisco during the Marconi Awards Gala and Institute Forums.

Why it matters: - The Paul Baran Young Scholar Award spotlights early-career researchers advancing information and communications technology. - The 2026 recipients are working on wireless systems, sensing, AI-enabled audio and robotics-connected devices. - Their recognition puts a national stage on research that could shape future connectivity and human-machine interaction.

What happened: - The Marconi Society announced three 2026 Paul Baran Young Scholars: Malek Itani of the University of Washington, Atsutse Kludze of Princeton University and Yiwen Song of Carnegie Mellon University. - The winners will be recognized at the 2026 Marconi Awards Gala & Institute Forums, set for Nov. 4-6 at the Fairmont San Francisco. - The scholars will present their research at the cross-sector Institute Forums on Friday, Nov. 6, before being honored that evening at the gala. - The awardees will be celebrated alongside 2026 Marconi Prize recipient Robert Calderbank and 2026 Marconi Society Lifetime Achievement Award recipient John Hennessy. - The event will also recognize 2026 Marconi Institute Award recipients Dr. David Bray, Dr. Pierrette Renée Dagg and Dr. Hamid Jafarkhani on Thursday, Nov. 5.

The details: - Malek Itani is a PhD candidate in electrical engineering at the University of Washington, nominated by Professor Shyam Gollakota in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering. - Itani’s research sits at the intersection of wireless systems, embedded audio and AI. - Itani builds real-time hearables, including earbuds, hearing aids and smart glasses, that use AI to help people control what they hear. - In 2025, Itani co-founded Hearvana AI and raised a $6 million round to move the technology from the lab into everyday devices. - Itani’s work has been covered by MIT Technology Review, IEEE Spectrum, Le Monde, The Verge and Popular Science. - Atsutse Kludze earned a PhD in electrical and computer engineering from Princeton University in 2026 and was nominated by Professor Kaushik Sengupta. - Kludze develops physics-guided architectures for wireless communication and sensing above 100 GHz. - Kludze is a named inventor on granted and pending patents, including one selected as a Princeton Patent Highlight. - Kludze was named an Outstanding Reviewer for the IEEE Journal of Microwaves. - Kludze has held the Yan Huo Graduate Fellowship, the Pramod Subramanyan Early Career Graduate Award, a GEM Employer Fellowship sponsored by IBM and a Qualcomm Innovation Fellowship. - Yiwen Song is a postdoctoral associate at the WiTech Lab in Carnegie Mellon University’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and was nominated by Professor Larry Pileggi. - Song’s work focuses on new wireless systems for communication, sensing, power transfer and novel wireless hardware. - Song is working on the deep integration of wireless and robotic systems. - Song’s research includes radio-frequency actuation of soft robots and the robotic integration of wireless devices. - John Janowiak, president and CEO of the Marconi Society, said the 2026 Young Scholars exemplify the curiosity and drive that move the field forward. - Janowiak said each scholar is tackling problems that matter, from hearing to wireless sensing and communication to next-generation connectivity.

Between the lines: - The Marconi Society is linking the award to commercialization as well as academic excellence, especially through Itani’s startup and funding round. - The mix of AI audio, high-frequency wireless research and robotics integration suggests the society is emphasizing applied technologies with near-term device and infrastructure potential. - The gala’s broader awards lineup signals the society is using the event to connect emerging talent with established leaders in communications and computing.

What's next: - The scholars are scheduled to present at the Institute Forums on Nov. 6 in San Francisco. - Nominations for the 2027 Paul Baran Young Scholar Award will open in January 2027. - People interested in participation or sponsorship can contact Flora Tromelin at ftromelin@marconisociety.org or +1-480-828-6064. - More information is available at the Marconi Society. - The Marconi Society also shared its social media presence on LinkedIn.

The bottom line: - The Marconi Society is elevating three early-career researchers whose work points to the next wave of wireless, AI and robotics-enabled technologies.