News Releases

4 October 2010 – IEEE Senior Member Michal Lipson, an optical physicist, and Member Dawn Song, a computer security specialist, have both been named 2010 MacArthur Fellows.

Michal Lipson is an optical physicist conducting research in the field of nano-photonics, working on different ways to develop devices that harness the information-processing capabilities of light. Applications include powering electronic devices such as laptops. Since 2001, she has been affiliated with the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Cornell University, where she is currently an associate professor.

Dawn Song is a computer security specialist who applies rigorous theoretical methods to understand the deep interactions of software, hardware, and networks that make computer systems vulnerable to attack or interference, according to the MacArthur Foundation Web site. The end result is to prevent malware from attacking online banking transactions, ensure the security of medical devices and systems, and protect users’ privacy. She is associate professor in the department of electrical engineering and computer science at the University of California, Berkeley.

The MacArthur Fellows Program awards unrestricted fellowships to talented individuals who have shown extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits and a marked capacity for self-direction. It is intended to encourage people of outstanding talent to pursue their own creative, intellectual, and professional inclinations. They may use their fellowship to advance their expertise, engage in bold new work, or, if they wish, to change fields or alter the direction of their careers. Each recipient is awarded a US$500,000 stipend.