Notable ECSE Alumni

Jay Baliga was awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation by President Obama for “development and commercialization of the Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor and other power semiconductor devices that are extensively used in transportation, lighting, medicine, defense, and renewable energy generation systems.”

Alan Borck is honored for lifelong contributions to the development and manufacturing of RF and microwave components

Innovator in Engineering Education, Author

In 1931, Allen DuMont developed an improved version of the cathode ray tube that was both cheaper to produce and longer lasting than the existing German tubes then available. He produced the first all-electronic television set in 1939. He founded the DuMont TV network in 1948, among the world’s pioneers and among the first in the United States. It was also the only TV network not to spring from a preexisting radio network. In 1915, DuMont received a first class commercial radio operator’s license, the youngest to do so – at age 14.

Dr. Peter Hart is honored for the invention of the A* search algorithm and for contributions to pattern recognition and engineering education.

Hermann Haus’s research and teaching covered fundamental investigations of quantum uncertainty in optical communications to the practical generation of ultra-short optical pulses. In 1994, the Optical Society of America awarded Dr. Haus its Frederic Ives Medal, their highest honor. He was awarded the National Medal of Science in 1995 and inducted into the Rensselaer Hall of Fame in 2007. He was an Institute Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Ted Hoff was awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation by President Obama for the conception, design, development, and application of the first microcomputer. The subsequent commercial acceptance of this universal building block enabled a multitude of novel digital electronic systems.

Doug Mercer has been awarded more than a dozen patents for his pioneering work in analog-digital conversion; it is virtually impossible to make a cell phone call without encountering something of his design. He has also contributed to innovative engineering education at Rensselaer and elsewhere.

Founder of NVIDIA and Benefactor

Control Theorist, Roboticist

Steven Sasson was awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation by President Obama for the invention of the digital camera, which has revolutionized the way images are captured, stored, and shared, thereby creating new opportunities for commerce, education, and improved worldwide communication.

Nambi (Nambi) Seshadri was elected to the National Academy of Engineering for his contributions to wireless communications, an honor considered among the highest of professional engineering distinctions.

Entrepreneur, Business Leader, Benefactor

Founder of the Electric Power Research Institute, pioneer in nuclear energy, energy production and policy, and risk analysis

Inventor of e-mail