Morris Cohen received his B.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University in 2003 and 2010, respectively, and served as a research scientist until August 2013. From September 2012 until August 2013, Dr. Cohen was appointed as AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the National Science Foundation.
In Fall 2013, he joined the faculty in the School of ECE. He is a winner of the NSF CAREER Award in 2017, the ONR Young Investigator Award in 2015, and was chosen for the Santimay Basu Prize in 2014, an award given once per 3 years to an under-35 scientist by the International Union of Radio Science (URSI).
Dr. Cohen is interested in the natural electricity of the Earth, including lightning, the electrically charged upper atmosphere, and the radiation-filled space environment. He uses radio waves at low frequencies measured all around the world to understand them, and develops resulting practical applications. His group also works on novel techniques to generate low frequency waves with nonconventional electrically-short antennas. He is an author of more than 60 journal publications. He employs a “flipped classroom” model in some of his courses to make the experience more active and engaging.
He enjoys hiking, cooking, and traveling the world for work and play with his family.
- Ph.D., Electrical Engineering (Radioscience), Stanford University, 2009
- M.S., Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, 2004
- B.S., Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, 2003
Cohen’s research focuses on advanced signal processing, with particular interest in statistical signal analysis, adaptive filtering, and stochastic processes. His work explores theoretical foundations and algorithm development for extracting information from complex data. Research activities involve both theoretical investigations and experimental validation, with applications relevant to communications, control systems, and related areas within electrical and computer engineering.
Cohen’s teaching is centered on electrical and computer engineering fundamentals, including signal processing, systems analysis, and communication theory at both undergraduate and graduate levels. He emphasizes rigorous analytical methods and practical problem-solving skills. His instruction aims to develop students’ comprehensive understanding of the principles underlying modern electrical engineering technologies and their applications across diverse engineering challenges.
- CTL/BP Junior Faculty Teaching Excellence Award, 2018
- NSF CAREER Award, 2017
- 2015 ONR Young Investigator Award
- 2014 Santimay Basu Prize, International Union of Radio Science (URSI)
- Associate Editor, Radio Science, 2013-Present
- AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow, National Science Foundation, 2012-2013
- Executive Committee, Atmospheric and Space Electricity Focus Group , American Geophysical Union (AGU), 2013-Present
- Leadership Award, UN/NASA International Heliophysical Year, April 2010
- JA Ellis, DJ Emmons, MB Cohen, Global sporadic-E prediction and climatology using deep learning, Space Weather 23(5), e2025SW004366, 2025
- TJ Lang, N Østgaard, M Marisaldi, MG Quick, CJ Schultz, I Adams, ..., Hunting for Gamma Rays above Thunderstorms: The ALOFT Campaign, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, BAMS-D-24-0060.1, 2025
- N Guo, AR Beyah, M Cohen, L Graber, T SHEKARI, KT WHITMORE, A magnetic field-based detection method and system for circuit breaker switching operation and arc duration detection, US Patent App. 18/834,842, 2025
- D Sarria, N Østgaard, I Bjørge-Engeland, A Mezentsev, M Marisaldi, ..., Spectral analysis of Flickering Gamma-ray Flashes observed during the ALOFT 2023 Campaign, Authorea Preprints, 2025
- M Strong, M Cohen, I Galkin, Using ionosondes for lower-ionosphere remote sensing, Geophysical Research Letters 52(11), e2024GL113123, 2025