Online Panel Series

Title: Online Panel: Digital Twins and AI

Date: August 26, 2026

Time: 8am PT / 11am ET

Sponsored by: Keysight, Remcom, Spectrum Control, COMSOL and Ansys part of Synopsys

Abstract:
Digital twins and artificial intelligence are transforming how RF and microwave systems are designed, tested, and maintained. This panel brings together industry experts to explore how physics-based modeling combined with AI-driven analytics is enabling more accurate virtual prototypes, faster design cycles, and predictive performance insights across complex environments. Topics will include the integration of simulation and measurement data, real-time system optimization, and the role of digital twins in mission-critical applications such as aerospace, defense, and next-generation communications.

Moderator: Eric Higham, Consulting Technical Editor, Microwave Journal^®
Panelist: Murthy Upmaka, Solutions Engineering Fellow, Keysight
Panelist: Tarun Chawla, Director of Business Development, Remcom
Panelist: Ian Dunn, Chief Technology Officer, Spectrum Control
Panelist: Andrew Strikwerda, Lead Application Engineer, COMSOL
Panelist: Shawn Carpenter, Program Director, 5G/6G & Space, Ansys part of Synopsys

Panel Participant Bios:

Moderator – Microwave Journal^®
Eric Higham, Consulting Technical Editor

Eric is a Consulting Technical Editor for Microwave Journal. During his career, Eric also served as Director of the Advanced Semiconductor Applications and the Advanced Defense Systems Services at Strategy Analytics. He is an industry veteran with more than 40 years of semiconductor experience and has also performed a variety of engineering, business development, marketing and management functions for M/A-COM, MicroDynamics and Raytheon. Eric holds an MSEE degree from Northeastern University and a BSEE degree from Cornell University.

Keysight
Murthy Upmaka, Solutions Engineering Fellow

Murthy Upmaka, has been with Keysight for the past 30 years as a field applications engineer, R&D system architect and field solutions engineer. Currently he is the field lead for System modeling and simulation tools and is a field solutions engineering fellow. Murthy has a Ph.D in Physics and conducted post doctoral research on THz material properties. He has extensive experience in design and development of MW and mm wave circuits and systems such as Mixers, I/Q modulators, frequency correlators, instantaneous frequency measurement (IFM) systems and Directions finding (DF) systems. He is a senior member of IEEE. He has over 30 publications in reputed journals that include IEEE and 3 US patents.

Remcom
Tarun Chawla, Director of Business Development

Tarun Chawla (Member, IEEE) received the B.S.E.E. degree from The Pennsylvania State University in 2008, and the M.B.A. degree from the University of Memphis in 2019. He is the Director of Business Development at Remcom, State College, PA, USA, with over 16 years of experience in hardware, middleware, and computational physics for electronics. His teams focus on integrating simulation tools for manufacturers in the semiconductor, consumer, automotive, and defense industries, including NASA. He works at the intersection of research and product engineering to support the development of AI-enabled wireless systems.

Spectrum Control
Ian Dunn, Chief Technology Officer

Ian brings over 25 years of experience in the embedded electronics and microwave industry. As CTO at Spectrum Control Ian, oversees all engineering, research & development, and advanced technology insertion.

He earned a doctorate in electrical and computer engineering from Johns Hopkins University and is an industry expert in the use of embedded processing technologies in electronically steered arrays. He has authored numerous papers and a book on algorithm design for parallel computer architectures.

He began his career at Mercury Systems as a systems engineer working on software-defined communication systems for defense and commercial customers and grew into various chief technologist roles. With an increased focus on mergers and acquisitions, Ian transitioned into more business-centric roles including the general management of various business units and, ultimately the VP of Advanced Technology and Chief Scientist, responsible for advanced technology development with government labs and key technology partnerships. He joined Spectrum Control in 2021 and has been instrumental in the company’s SCi Blocks initiative and the company’s ground-breaking innovation in miniaturization and integration.

COMSOL
Andrew Strikwerda, Lead Application Engineer

Andrew Strikwerda is a lead application engineer at COMSOL specializing in electromagnetics. He received his PhD in physics from Boston University and conducted postgraduate research at the Technical University of Denmark. He was a senior staff scientist at the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) Applied Physics Laboratory and taught in the JHU Whiting School of Engineering.

Ansys part of Synopsys
Shawn Carpenter, Program Director, 5G/6G & Space

Shawn Carpenter is a Principal Engineer in Technical Product Management at Synopsys, where he focuses on electromagnetic simulation, RF systems, antenna design, radar, wireless communications, and electronic design automation (EDA). His work supports the modeling and validation of complex RF environments, from autonomous systems to lunar communications networks. With expertise spanning 5G/6G, space communications, and high-frequency electronics, Shawn helps translate advanced research into practical engineering solutions for aerospace and telecommunications applications. He holds a BEE degree from the University of Minnesota and an MSEE degree from Syracuse University.

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