Dennis Paul Nyquist (August 18, 1939 â December 9, 2016) was an American electrical engineer and professor at Michigan State University (MSU). He was a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and co-founded the MSU Electromagnetics Research Group with Kun-Mu Chen.
Nyquist received his M.S. degree in electrical engineering from Wayne State University. He was recruited by Kun-Mu Chen to pursue doctoral studies at Michigan State University, completing his Ph.D. in electrical engineering in 1966 with a dissertation on traveling wave antennas with impedance loading.
He became the second faculty member of the Electromagnetics Research Group at Michigan State, joining immediately after completing his doctorate in 1966. He worked alongside Chen for most of his career, with the two expanding their research into plasma physics and electromagnetic applications in biological systems. Their most significant collaborative project was a $1 million National Science Foundation grant for microwave applications for life detection systems, developing technology that used microwaves to detect heartbeats. This research has been credited with saving lives after earthquakes in Central America and Tibet.
Nyquist served on the MSU faculty for 36 years until his retirement in 2002.
In 2014, Nyquist made a $1 million commitment through his estate to establish the Dennis P. Nyquist Endowed Professorship in Electromagnetics at MSU. The endowment also included the Lucille P. Nyquist Memorial Endowed Electrical Engineering Graduate Fellowship, named for his mother, and the Dennis P. Nyquist Electromagnetic Research Discretionary Endowment Fund. Edward Rothwell was named the inaugural holder of the Nyquist Professorship, followed by Leo Kempel.
Nyquist died on December 9, 2016, at age 77.