CHARLES A. DESOER, PIONEERING CIRCUIT RESEARCHER,
TO RECEIVE 2011 IEEE GUSTAV ROBERT KIRCHHOFF AWARD
Cutting-Edge Research Has Influenced Generations of Electrical Engineers and Provided Substantial Progress in Circuits and Systems Analysis and Design
PISCATAWAY, N.J., February 7, 2011 –Charles A. Desoer, a researcher and educator whose cutting-edge research and teaching have influenced generations of engineers and improved the use of electric circuits and systems who passed away in November 2010, is being honored by IEEE with the 2011 IEEE Gustav Robert Kirchhoff Award. IEEE is the world's largest professional association advancing technology.
The award, sponsored by the IEEE Circuits and Systems Society, recognizes Desoer for crucial conceptual research contributions to the behavior and the use of electrical circuits and systems. The award will be accepted by family members on 21 February 2011, at the IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference in San Francisco, Calif.
With contributions spanning over 30 years, Desoer's work on the analytical foundations of circuit and system theory was important not only for its own sake but because it came at a time of explosive development in methods for the analysis and synthesis of complex circuits for the integrated-circuit industry. This coincided with the burgeoning growth in control applications for aerospace, transportation, process control and other essential industry sectors. These industries all benefited from Desoer's clear statement of what was analytically verifiable. Desoer's impact can be measured through his research and guidance of over 40 doctoral students at the University of California, Berkeley, and through textbooks considered to be the most authoritative references in circuits, systems and control.
Desoer's work on linear and nonlinear circuits came at a time when there was a shortage of textbooks on the subject but also when the growing integrated-circuit market needed a foundation in nonlinear circuit analysis, simulation and synthesis. His landmark textbooks include "Basic Circuit Theory" (McGraw Hill, 1969), co-auhored with E.S. Kuh; "Notes for a Second Course on Linear Systems" (Van Nostrand Rhinehold, 1970); and "Linear and Nonlinear Circuits" (McGraw Hill, 1987), co-authored with L.O. Chua and Kuh. His work presented methodologies now found in modern electronics and set systems theory within a firm and elegant conceptual framework. The immense impact of Desoer's contributions can still be seen in electrical engineering research and design throughout the world.
Dr. Desoer was an IEEE Life Fellow, a Fellow of the American Academy for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and a member of the National Academy of Engineering. His major awards included a Guggenheim Fellowship; a Distinguished Teaching Award from the University of California, Berkeley; the Medal of the University of Liège; the Prix Montefiore, Liège; the IEEE James Mulligan Jr. Education Medal; the American Association of Control Education Award; the IEEE Control Society Technical Field Award; and the IEEE Circuits and Systems Society Mac Van Valkenburg Award. He obtained a radio engineer degree from the University of Liège, Belgium, and a doctor of science degree in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge. Desoer began his career at Bell Labs, Murray Hill, N.J. In 1958 he joined the University of California, Berkeley, as professor of electrical engineering, where he was an Emeritus Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences.
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JOHN D. CRESSLER, INSPIRATIONAL MICROELECTRONICS EDUCATOR,
TO RECEIVE 2011 IEEE LEON K. KIRCHMAYER
GRADUATE TEACHING AWARD
"Cressler Students" Enter the Professional World Both Technically Strong and
Aware of the Social Implications of Technology
PISCATAWAY, N.J., February 7, 2011 – John D. Cressler, an educator whose teaching goes beyond technical concepts to not only prepare strong microelectronics engineers but to also inspire students to be socially conscious, is being honored by IEEE with the 2011 IEEE Leon K. Kirchmayer Graduate Teaching Award. IEEE is the world's largest professional association advancing technology.
The award, sponsored by the Leon K. Kirchmayer Memorial Fund, recognizes Cressler for inspirational teaching and student mentoring in the field of advanced microelectronic devices and circuits. The award will be presented on XX February 2011 at the IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference, in San Francisco, Calif.
Cressler believes that today's electrical and computer engineering students must be provided with more than just a strong technical background in the traditional core courses. Known among his colleagues at Georgia Tech, Atlanta, for his approachability and his unlimited patience, Cressler includes unique design experiences within his graduate courses so that students gain exposure to real-world challenges, learn to communicate with diverse audiences, and work together in a team environment to solve complex problems. Cressler also instills his passion for social awareness within his students, examining both the positive and negative aspects of the global micro- and nanoelectronics revolution. According to former students, known to many in industry as "Cressler Students," Cressler has inspired them to use technology to build a better world and to seek balance in life while they excel professionally. Cressler consistently receives high ratings from student surveys and is admired by students and faculty alike.
Cressler is considered a leading expert in silicon-germanium heterojunction bipolar transistor technology. This technology opens the door for low-cost but high-performance electronics and systems needed to support ever-increasing global communications needs. The experience he gained in industry prior to starting his teaching career clearly influences his classroom style and philosophy. He has maintained close ties to both industry and government sponsors, ensuring that his students' research has timely impact on the ever-changing communications marketplace. Cressler also serves as faculty mentor for Georgia Tech's SURE program, which brings top-notch minority undergraduates to the school and incorporates them into research teams for a taste of what graduate school is all about.
An IEEE Fellow, Cressler's awards include the Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award, the C. Holmes MacDonald National Outstanding Teacher Award by Eta Kappa Nu, the Auburn University Birdsong Teaching Award, the IEEE George E. Smith Award, the Georgia Tech Outstanding Faculty Leadership in the Development of Graduate Students Award, and the Class of 1940 W. Howard Ector Outstanding Teacher Award (Georgia Tech's highest teaching honor). He received his bachelor's degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology and his master's and doctorate degrees from Columbia University, New York, NY. Cressler worked with the IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, N.Y. prior to joining the faculty at Auburn University, Alabama, in 1992. He joined Georgia Tech's faculty in 2002, where he is currently the Ken Byers Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
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WILLY SANSEN, ANALOG CIRCUIT DESIGN LEADER,
TO RECEIVE 2011 DONALD O. PEDERSON AWARD IN SOLID-STATE CIRCUITS
Research, Teaching and Industry Collaboration Have
Advanced the Analog Microelectronics Field
PISCATAWAY, N.J., February 7, 2011 – Willy Sansen, considered one of the most prolific engineering educators in Europe for his research, education and industry contributions related to the field of analog integrated circuit design, is being honored by IEEE with the 2011 IEEE Donald O. Pederson Award in Solid-State Circuits. IEEE is the world's largest professional association advancing technology.
The award, sponsored by the IEEE Solid-State Circuits Society, recognizes Sansen for leadership in analog integrated circuit design. The award will be presented on XX February 2011, at the IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference in San Francisco, Calif.
Despite digital circuits occupying most of the chip space in today's electronics, the importance of analog circuits continues to grow. They are needed to help the digital world communicate with the real word. Sansen's efforts in research, education and cooperation with industry have impacted the analog integrated circuit design field worldwide. At the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium, Sansen grew his research group (ESAT-MICAS) focusing on the design of analog integrated circuits into one of Europe's largest and best known. Designs originating from his group have been incorporated by companies worldwide for use in chips for wireless communications, consumer electronics and sensors for cochlear implants and telemetry systems.
Sansen's 30-plus years of research includes many important papers covering such topics as analog device properties, computer-aided design, sensor interfaces/readout electronics for biomedical applications, low-power amplifiers and analog-to-digital converters. Sansen was one of the pioneers of using computer tools for symbolic analysis of circuits. Symbolic analysis provides greater insight during the design process compared to the purely numerical analysis methods previously used.
Known for excellence in teaching and the ability to inspire his students, Sansen is the author and co-author of 15 books and has taught numerous short courses and workshops. The doctorate students he has mentored have become leaders in their own right, holding highly regarded positions in both industry and academia around the world. His collaborative efforts with industry have resulted in successful spin-off companies in the areas of design automation, radio-frequency design, sensor design and hardware design.
An IEEE Life Fellow, Sansen is a Fellow of the Belgian American Educational Foundation and a recipient of the IEEE Third Millennium Medal. He is a member of the executive and program committees of the IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference, serving as program chair for the 2002 Conference, and is past president of the IEEE Solid-State Circuits Society. He received a master's degree in electrical engineering from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium, and a doctorate degree in electronics from the University of California, Berkeley. Sansen began his career at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in 1969 as a research assistant, serving as a full professor from 1980 to 2008, and is now a Professor Emeritus there.
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