The National Academy of Engineering will award the 2015 Charles Stark Draper Prize for Engineering to Isamu Akasaki, M. George Craford, Russell D. Dupuis, Ph.D. (IL A ’70), Nick Holonyak Jr., Ph.D. (IL A ’50), and Shuji Nakamura “for the invention, development, and commercialization of materials and processes for light-emitting diodes (LEDs).” The annual award is given to engineers whose accomplishments have significantly benefited society.
“These prize-winning engineers were the pioneers in a technology that has changed the world we live in from the aesthetics in our homes, to advancements in our visual capabilities, and to environmental stewardship,” said NAE President C D. Mote Jr., Ph.D. (CA A ’59). Read the press release for more information on LEDs and for short bios on each of winner.
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Patrick G. Awuah Jr., PA K ’89, was recently profiled on RisingAfrica.org with the tagline “Patrick Awuah makes the case that a liberal arts education is critical to forming true leaders.” Awuah is the founder and president of Ashesi University in Berekuso, Ghana. He is a native of Ghana who quit his job as a program manager at Microsoft to start the University.
Ashesi translates to “beginning” and is the first Ghanaian university to combine technical majors with a liberal arts approach. Awuah received bachelor degrees in engineering and economics from Swarthmore College (PA), an MBA from UC Berkeley, and two honorary doctorates. “Africa needs to have a renaissance,” says Awuah.”The world needs to change in this way and I strongly believe that people like me who have had the privilege of a great education need to be part of the solution.” Click here for an article from 2013 on Awuah
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In a late December press release, the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) announced that Alton D. Romig Jr., Ph.D. (PA A ’75), will join the NAE leadership team as Executive Officer beginning on March 2, 2015. In this role, he “is responsible for the activities and their outcomes undertaken by NAE staff who serve the Academy membership, program, communication and financial operations.”
Previously, Dr. Romig spent more than 30 years with Sandia National Laboratories, serving as executive vice president & CTO. His current term as vice president of advanced development programs engineering and advanced systems at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics is set to expire on April 14, 2015. More biographical information is available here.
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Tau Beta Pi 