Dr. Neil G. Rogers

Dr. Neil G. Rogers#

Ph.D. · Endowed Chair

Neil G. Rogers

Endowed Chair, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, USAFA
RF Field Applications Engineer, Analog Devices

Dr. Rogers returns to DFEC in Fall 2026 as an endowed chair, teaching ECE 215 and ECE 444 alongside a full-time role at Analog Devices. That follows seven years on the ECE faculty — directing the department's largest course, building the software-defined radio and electromagnetics sequences from scratch, and running the department's research program. Dr. Rogers was DFEC's Outstanding Educator of the Year in 2021.

Background#

  • Thermal Infrared Analyst, then Project Manager, National Air and Space Intelligence Center, Wright-Patterson AFB (2004–2007) — performance analysis of foreign weapon systems, then a $15M ISR exploitation software contract.

  • Chief, Active Denial Section, then Chief, Computational Physics Section, Directed Energy Directorate, AFRL, Kirtland AFB (2009–2011) — led in-house teams on high-power microwave sources and systems, and directed a $2.2M/year DoD modeling and simulation institute.

  • Deputy Director of Engineering, JSTARS Recapitalization, AF Life Cycle Management Center, Hanscom AFB (2014–2018) — led a 120-member division’s technical effort on an $8.2B program, and drove the assessment that secured its Milestone B decision.

  • Assistant Professor of ECE, USAFA (2018–2021) — directed the department’s largest course for 1,150 cadets a year and rewrote over 75% of it.

  • Senior Military Faculty and Assistant Professor of ECE, USAFA (2021–2025) — directed the department’s research program, developed the SDR and electromagnetics courses, and modernized the communications sequence around emerging EW needs.

  • Principal Scientist I, Electromagnetic Applications, Lakewood, CO (2025) — senior technical lead for RF across a $4.2M consulting and simulation portfolio.

  • RF Field Applications Engineer, Analog Devices, Colorado Springs (2025–present) — supports aerospace and defense customers on radar, communications, and EW problems.

Education: a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Tulsa, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology, where the doctoral work developed a nondestructive technique for electromagnetic characterization of anisotropic sheet materials.

Research interests#

  • Software-defined radio — secure communications, direction finding, radar applications, and electronic warfare

  • Electromagnetics — electromagnetic theory, material characterization, radiation and scattering in complex media

  • Antennas — design, analysis, and novel applications

  • Also — high-power microwave systems, counter-small-UAS, robotics and autonomy

Dr. Rogers is a recurring contributor to the GNU Radio community, with conference papers and short courses on reverse-engineering signals and on using GNU Radio in the classroom.

Courses taught at USAFA#

Course

Role

ECE 315 — Principles of AF Electronic and Cyber Systems

Instructor and Course Director; rewrote 75% of the materials

ECE 215 — Principles of Electronic Cyber Warfare

Instructor (Fall 2022), Course Director (Spring 2023)

ECE 343 — Electromagnetics

Course Director and Senior Course Mentor; built the hands-on labs

ECE 346 — Advanced Engineering Math with ECE Applications

Course Director and Senior Course Mentor

ECE 447 — Introduction to Communication Systems

Instructor and Senior Course Mentor

ECE 448 — Introduction to Software Defined Radios

Developed the course from scratch; Course Director

Selected awards#

  • Outstanding Educator of the Year, DFEC, USAFA (2021)

  • Team of the Year, Quantum Engineering Minor, AW, USAFA (2025)

  • Division Field Grade Officer of the Year, AFLCMC (2017)

  • Tau Beta Pi (2009) and Eta Kappa Nu (2008) honor societies

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