Wilton, Donald

2002 Distinguished Alumni Award

In recognition for contributions to microprocessor silicon technology research and development

A professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Houston, Wilton was recognized for outstanding contributions to fundamental theories and techniques in computational electromag-netics.

After earning his master's degree, Wilton joined the Hughes Aircraft Co., where he was engaged in the analysis and design of phased-array antennas. He returned to the U of I in 1968 as a Hughes Fellow to begin his PhD work. Early in his career he was a faculty member at the University of Mississippi. He joined the University of Houston in 1983.

Wilton has pioneered the solution of Maxwell's equation in three dimensions using integral equations. In so doing, he designed a function (the Rao Wilton Glisson function) that has made a quantum leap in capturing the physics of the problem, and allows complex phenomena to be simulated. Some of his other work, which allows many detailed features to be modeled in computational electromag-netics, is important for modeling electromagnetic effects in microchips.