Shmuel Auster
IEEE COMCAS Chairman

Since 2006, Mr. Auster has held the position of R&D Liaison Manager, Microwave Systems Division, ELTA Systems Ltd., a group and subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), one of Israel's leading defense electronics companies.

From 1980-2006, Mr. Auster was employed by Elisra Electronic Systems, Israel's foremost developer and manufacturer of advanced system solutions for air, sea and land. From 2000-2006, he held the position of RF and Microwaves Chief Scientist at Elisra. Previously, he was the Chief Scientist of the Microwave Division at Elisra. During his tenure at Elisra, he established and headed the Millimeter-Wave Technology and MMIC Design activities, and was responsible for the development and design of passive and active microwave components and devices, RF, microwave and millimeter-wave receivers, transmitters, synthesizers, antennas, modules and sub-systems. From 1993-2000, he represented Elisra as a Director of the Israeli GaAs/MMIC Consortium, where he was appointed Chairman of the Technical (R&D) Committee of the Consortium.

From 1989-2001, Mr. Auster instructed several courses on Communications and Microwave technology at the IDF Air Force Institute for Qualification of Engineers & Officers, Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Mr. Auster has served IEEE MTT-S and other volunteer activities for over 16 years, including conference organization and related activities as MTT-S Chapter and Symposiums Chairman. He was the Vice-Chairman of the EuMC 1997 (European Microwave Conference), IEEEI 2008 and IEEEI 2010, the upcoming international IEEE Israel Section international convention.

From 1996, Mr. Auster has served on numerous professional, organizational and technical committees, including IEEE, MTT/AP, EMC, EuMC, GAAS, EuMIC, MIKON, MELECON, and SIBIRCON. From 1996-1999, during the establishment of EuMA and EuMW, he was a member of the EuMC Management Committee. He is an esteemed member of the following professional committees: EuMA/EuMW Steering Committee, EuMW Industrial Liaison Committee, EuRaMIG Core Group, MTT AdCom M&S Committee and Vice Chairman at the MTT AdCom EuMA Liaison Committee. Mr. Auster is also a noted reviewer of the IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, and for several IEEE and EuMW Symposiums.

Mr. Auster has held the position of Chairman, IEEE S-AP/MTT Israel chapter, since 2003. He was Chairman of the IEEE Israel S-AP/MTT & AES Chapters' Annual Symposiums from 2004-2007, responsible for the increased participation from 40 to over 530 participants over four years. He established and has served as General Chairman of the successful IEEE COMCAS, a newly-formed international IEEE conference on microwaves, communications, antennas, and electronic systems. The first annual conference was held in Tel Aviv, Israel, May 2008, welcoming over 700 participants, with an anticipated increase in attendance at COMCAS 2009. This conference is supported by seven global IEEE societies, with MTT-S serving as its principal society.

Mr. Auster is the Scientific Editor of WaveTech, a publication dedicated to microwaves, antennas and wireless communications founded in 2004.

Mr. Auster holds a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Tel Aviv University and a degree in Engineering Management (Summa Cum Laude).