Dr. Yu-Dong Yao is an internationally recognized expert in data link and access protocol designs for satellite and cellular networks. For over 25 years, he has made significant contributions to telecommunications systems, including developing advanced on-board processing technologies for the Canadian Department of Communications and the European Space Agency and data link protocols for the Globalstar satellite system. Dr. Yao holds 13 U.S. patents and published over 150 research papers. He served as an Editor of the IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications (2001-2005). He was elected an IEEE Fellow (2011) and a Fellow of National Academy of Inventors (2015). In 2018, he received an honorary degree, Master of Engineering (Honoris Causa), from Stevens Institute of Technology.