U-M engineering professor and radar technology trailblazer Kamal Sarabandi was one of this year’s recipients of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, which recognizes individuals for excellence and service to the country in professional, cultural and civic roles. The medal has been recognized by both the U.S. House and Senate as one of the nation’s most prestigious awards, and its honorees are read annually into the Congressional Record. Past recipients include U.S. presidents, Fortune 500 CEOs, Nobel laureates and cultural figures.

Sarabandi, the Fawwaz T. Ulaby Distinguished University Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, the Rufus S. Teesdale Professor of Engineering and a professor of electrical engineering and computer science at the College of Engineering, is described as “a legendary figure in the field of electrical engineering.”

“Kamal Sarabandi is a superstar, and I could tell he was destined to make major advances in the field of electromagnetics from the very first time I met him,” said Fawwaz Ulaby, professor emeritus of electrical and computer engineering, who hired him.

Sarabandi turned the radar discoveries he made during his doctoral studies into systems that can monitor key climate change indicators from space. He went on to lead a $20 million center, funded by the Army Research Lab. His team has recently turned to developing radar for autonomous vehicles that need to detect obstacles in all kinds of weather.

“This medal, to me, is a tangible manifestation of the American Dream — the idea that with hard work, determination and opportunity, anything is possible,” Sarabandi said.

Sarabandi received the medal along with 80 other honorees on May 18, 2024, on Ellis Island, the historical immigration station for people arriving in New York City and now home of the National Museum of Immigration.