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Engineering, Architecture and Technology

Oklahoma State University electrical and computer engineering alumnus James Lansford has been named a Life Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, effective Jan. 1, 2026, in recognition of his leadership in wireless standards and wireless coexistence.

 

The IEEE Fellow distinction is one of the organization’s most prestigious honors and is conferred upon senior members with extraordinary records of accomplishment in IEEE fields of interest. Each year, no more than 0.1% of IEEE’s voting membership is elevated to Fellow status, making the recognition a significant career milestone. The distinction of being a Life Fellow is a recognition of having many decades of IEEE membership and represents an even smaller percentage of Fellows.

 

Lansford earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Auburn University in 1980 and his master’s degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1982. He began his engineering career as a cooperative education student with the National Security Agency and continued working in defense-related roles after completing his degrees.

 

After meeting OSU professor Rao Yarlagadda, Lansford made the decision to leave industry and pursue his doctorate at OSU, which he completed in 1988.

 

Following graduation, Lansford joined the Georgia Tech Research Institute, where he conducted research on advanced radar detection algorithms. In 1990, he transitioned to academia as an assistant professor at the University of Colorado before returning to industry as a co-founder and chief technology officer of Momentum Microsystems. This role marked the beginning of his 30+-year career focused on wireless communications standards and regulations.

 

In 1996, Lansford joined Intel Corporation as the technical lead for HomeRF, an emerging wireless technology that combined elements of cordless phone systems and wireless local area networks, helping influence the evolution of Wi-Fi. Four years later, he became vice president and CTO of Mobilian Corporation, where he helped raise more than $70 million in venture capital prior to the company’s acquisition; Mobilian was the first company to demonstrate Bluetooth and Wi-Fi operating simultaneously in the same chip.

 

After Mobilian was acquired by Intel in 2003, Lansford went on to co-found Alereon and serve as its CTO. Alereon became a leader in ultra-wideband wireless technology, and during Lansford’s seven-year tenure, the company raised more than $80 million in venture funding. In 2010, he joined Cambridge Silicon Radio as standards lead for Wi-Fi technologies. Following the company’s acquisition by Qualcomm in 2015, Lansford continued his work at Qualcomm, and transitioned to semi-retirement in 2023. After two years of freelance work, Dr. Lansford joined DeepSig Inc in 2025 as its Senior Director of Technical Standards, leading efforts to bring AI-Native technology to wireless communication.

 

Lansford currently serves as chair of the IEEE committee responsible for incubating new Wi-Fi technologies, is an industry leader in ultra-wideband communications and connected vehicle technologies, and was the chief editor of the Society of Automotive Engineers standard that defines how vehicles communicate to prevent collisions and roadway hazards.

 

For more than 15 years, Lansford has also shared his professional experience with students at the University of Colorado, emphasizing the importance of gratitude and acknowledging the mentors and colleagues who support professional growth.

 

In 2022, Lansford was inducted into OSU’s College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology Hall of Fame and was honored with the Lohmann Medal which recognizes individuals whose research, innovation, and leadership have had a lasting influence in their fields and at OSU.

 

The IEEE is the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. With more than 500,000 members in over 190 countries, IEEE is a global authority in electrical and computer sciences, engineering and related disciplines. The organization publishes approximately one-third of the world’s technical literature in these fields and maintains a portfolio of more than 1,000 standards while sponsoring over 2,000 conferences annually.