Engineers receive prestigious University of Illinois alumni awards

Urbana, IL—A. Michael Andrews II, Gary S. Brown, John P. Hayes, and Carl C.T. Wang will receive the 2004 Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Illinois Electrical & Computer Engineering (ECE) Department at a banquet Friday, September 24, in Urbana. Established 34 years ago, this award recognizes ECE alumni who have made professional and technical contributions that bring distinction to the department and the university. Thomas M. Conte and Bradford Gliner will receive the Young Alumni Achievement Award at the same banquet. This award recognizes alumni less than 40 years old who have made outstanding contributions to their field.

Andrews (PhD ’71), chief technology officer for L-3 Communications in Arlington, VA, is recognized for his pioneering advances in military infrared imaging systems, and for his leadership in directing the R&D efforts of the U.S. Army. While at Rockwell he helped develop a focal-plane IR imaging technique, which was used in the precursor to the Javelin missile system. As chief scientist for the Army, Andrews was in charge of that service’s entire research and technology programs at 21 laboratories and centers with 9,000 engineers and scientists, and a $2 billion budget.

Brown (BSEE ’63, MSEE ’64, PhD ’67), the Bradley Distinguished Professor of Electromagnetics at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, is recognized for his contributions to the basic theory of the scattering of electromagnetic waves from random media and rough surfaces. His theory has helped the Navy and Air Force understand the interaction of radar signals with the ocean surface. His work on the back-scattered power of downward-pointing radar has been used to estimate wind velocity that causes roughness over an ocean surface. Consequently, remotely sensed data from satellites can be used to estimate wind velocity close to the earth’s surface by monitoring radar scattering by ocean rough surfaces.

Hayes (MSEE ’67, PhD ’70), the Claude Shannon Professor of Engineering Science at the University of Michigan, is recognized for his pioneering contributions to the designing and testing of logic circuits and for impacting engineering education worldwide through his textbooks. A faculty member at Michigan since 1982, Hayes conducts research in the general area of computer science and engineering, with specific interests in computer hardware design, quantum computing, computer-aided design, testing, and verification of digital systems, VLSI design, and fault-tolerant and embedded computer systems. Hayes has written several textbooks including several books including “ Computer Architecture and Organization,” “ Layout Minimization for CMOS Cells,” and “ Introduction to Digital Logic Design.”

Wang (BSEE ’58, MSEE ’59, PhD ’64), president of Medical Instruments Development Laboratory in San Leandro, CA, is recognized for his contributions to vitreoretinal surgery in the United States and China and for his teaching and humanitarian efforts. Wang has developed microsurgical instrumentation for ophthalmic surgery. His contributions to eye surgery are seminal, with his innovations forming the basic platform for vitreous surgery; modifications of his designs are used worldwide for treating retinal detachment, trauma, and eye infections. Each year Wang travels to China with physicians to teach vitreoretinal surgery.

Conte (MSEE ’88, PhD ’92), professor of electrical and computer engineering at North Carolina State University, is honored for his technical and leadership contributions to the field of computer microarchitecture. A leading expert in very long instruction word (VLIW) microarchitectures, Conte is director of the Center for Embedded Systems Research at NCSU. His contributions to microprocessor design include a highly regarded solution to the problem of VLIW code compatibility, seminal work on instruction fetch mechanisms, and industry-influencing work on hardware performance counter design. His work has been adopted by Intel, TI, and IBM.

Gliner (BSEE ’87), director of research and program manager at Northstar Neuroscience Inc. in Seattle, WA, is honored for contributions to the development of the world’s first portable automatic external defibrillator (AED). In 1992, Gliner co-founded Heartstream Inc., where he led the seminal work to develop the low-energy biphasic waveform that was critical to the portable AED. In 1999, Gliner joined Northstar Neuroscience, a medical device company developing innovative medical technologies that restore function and quality of life for people suffering from neurological diseases and disorders. Gliner is leading the R&D team developing cortical stimulation technologies for stroke recovery and other neurological applications. He also designed and is responsible for conducting the clinical trials for Northstar’s implantable device.

Also at the banquet, the ECE department will also present the Marcia Peterman Award to Larry F. Altenbaumer (BSEE ’70). This award is presented annually to a former ECE Alumni Association Board member for dedicated service to the department and the university. Altenbaumer was a member of the board from 1988 to 2001, serving as president from 1995 to 1998. A 2003 recipient of the ECE Distinguished Alumni Award, Altenbaumer is a retired president and CEO of Illinois Power Company in Decatur, IL.