2007 EAB Award Recipients

 José F. Valdez C. “for demonstrated leadership in the development of Instituto de la Calidad en la Acreditación de Carreras de Ingeniería y Tecnología (ICACIT), the Peruvian National  Engineering Accreditation Association”

José F. Valdez C.  (SM’69, F’87, LF’99) received the BS in electrical and mechanical engineering from the Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería (UNI), Lima, Peru in 1950.

Following graduation from UNI, Mr. Valdez worked for General Electric in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and New York, as Test Engineer, Applications and Sales.  After returning to Peru, he worked with International Machinery Company, (IMACO), an industrial machinery importer and GE distributor based in Lima.  In 1960, with his colleague Walter Piazza-Tanguis, he founded Piazza and Valdez Ingenieros, which became known for designing and building electric power substations and transmission lines. The company became Cosapi S.A., now one of Peru’s leading general contractors. The company has built more than 70 percent of the gas turbine plants in Peru and Peru’s first steam electric-power-generating plant.    Currently, Mr. Valdez is Chairman of the Board of Cosapi Data,  the Electronics Information Systems Integrator, and Cosapi Soft, a Software Factory.  

In 1967, he co-founded the IEEE Peru Section. He served as Chair in 1982 and 1983, established the first Student Branch, co-founded the Education, Engineering Management and Communications Chapters, and co-founded INTERCOM, an IEEE Conference organized by Student Branches.  

Through the years, Mr. Valdez has maintained a firm belief and a staunch dedication to the notion that engineers are vital to the welfare of all Peruvians and that education, particularly engineering education, is the key.  Moreover, he was the first to recognize the need for an accreditation system to ensure high-quality educational programs. Thus, with ardent persuasiveness, he convinced IEEE colleagues in Peru to support the creation of the “Instituto de la Calidad en la Acreditación de Carreras de Ingeniería y Tecnología (ICACIT)”, an accreditation association modeled on best practices in accreditation throughout the world. 

He has served as ICACIT President since its founding. With unwavering energy and a commitment to excellence, he has been the driving force in guiding the development of ICACIT.  He is revered by students, engineering faculty, and practicing engineers throughout the country for his experience, his leadership, and his constant and steadfast commitment to the improvement of the quality of life for all Peruvians. 

His extensive IEEE activities include the Foundation Board, Fellows Committee, and Ethics Committee. His awards include the IEEE Region 9 Ingeniero Eminente (1978), the Centennial Medal (1985), Larry K. Wilson Transnational Innovation Award (1983), the IEEE Millennium Medal (2000), and the Regional Activities Board Leadership Award (2005). Mr. Valdez was elected Fellow of the IEEE in 1987 “for creating and developing engineering institutions and encouraging engineering education.”

Ferial El-Hawary “for sustained contributions in linking industry to academia in promotion and developing continuing education programs for Oceanic Engineering Professionals worldwide”

Ferial El-Hawary (M'82, S'86, F'99) received the B.Eng. degree from the University of Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt (1967), and the M.Sc. from the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (1971), both in electrical engineering; and the Ph.D. in oceans engineering from Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada (1981).

Dr. El-Hawary is President of BH Engineering Systems Ltd., specializing in technology transfer.  She served on the Faculty of Engineering at Dalhousie University, where she established and directed the Modeling & Signal Analysis Laboratory.  She has published widely in IEEE Journals in OCEANS Applications. She is Editor-in-Chief of The Ocean Engineering Handbook published in 2001. Currently, she is Associate Editor of IEEE Oceanic Engineering Journal. With more than twenty-five years experience in teaching subjects related to the electrical and oceanic engineering field, Dr. El-Hawary has made significant and sustained contributions in promoting and developing continuing education programs. As founder of the Modeling and Signal Analysis Research Laboratory at the Faculty of Engineering at Dalhousie University, and subsequently as founder of BH Engineering Systems Ltd., she developed and promoted professional development short courses, linking academic innovations to industrial needs for Oceanic and Electric Power Engineering practitioners.  

Since 1987, Dr. El-Hawary served as Chair of Tutorial Programs for a number of Oceanic Engineering Conferences. She has proactively designed the overall theme for tutorial topics for each conference and sought experts to create content that offer meaningful refinement of theoretical concepts for effective industrial implementation. In addition, she devised and managed an effective administrative system for financial compensation and timely material delivery to assure successful tutorial programs. These tireless efforts contributed significantly to the overall success of each conference.

Her IEEE activities are numerous. She is Region 7 Director Elect (2006-07); Member Sections Congress 08 Steering Committee, Conference Committee (2005-Present), History Committee (2005-present), and Oceanic Engineering Society Administrative Committee (1989-present); Vice-President International Activities (1993-97); and General Co-Chair OCEANS’08. Her many awards include Marine Technology Society (MTS) Ocean Engineering Compass International Award (2005); the J.J. Archambault Eastern Canada Council Merit Award (2002); IEEE Third Millennium Medal (2000); 1999 RAB Achievement Awards; IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society Distinguished Service Award (1997); and Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC) (1997). Dr. El-Hawary was elected Fellow of the IEEE in 1999 “for contributions to applications of digital system concepts to underwater dynamic motion estimation and marine seismic methods.”

Jan Van der Spiegel “for innovative efforts in promoting undergraduate research and creating robust opportunities for undergraduate students to enrich their education through integrative research experiences”

Jan Van der Spiegel (S’73, M’79, SM’90, F’02)received his Bachelors, Masters, and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium, in 1971, 1974 and 1979, respectively. He joined the University of Pennsylvania in 1981 where he is currently a professor in the Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering and Director of the Center for Sensor Technologies. He served as Chair of the Department of Electrical Engineering from 1998 to 2002, and as interim chair of the Electrical and Systems Engineering Department from 2002 to 2004. His research interests are in mixed-mode VLSI design biologically inspired sensory information processing systems, and analog-to-digital converters. He is the author of over 200 papers and holds four patents.

Professor Van der Spiegel is a highly accomplished scholar and educator in electrical engineering.  He has dedicated his career to successfully bridging research and teaching. Among his many educational contributions, in 1986 he established an undergraduate research program called SUNFEST (Summer Undergraduate Fellowships in Sensor Technologies) with the goal of promoting undergraduate research and creating opportunities for undergraduate students to enhance their education through research experiences. SUNFEST is a successful pioneering effort to integrate undergraduate education with research in a manner that excites students and motivates them to pursue graduate education.  Over 190 students have participated in the program, of which over 60% went on to graduate school and several became faculty mentors themselves. SUNFEST was a model for the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program introduced by the National Science Foundation in 1987.

He has served on a number of IEEE program committees and  was the Technical Program Chair of the 2007 International Solid-State Circuit Conference (ISSCC). He has been the Chair of the Chapters Committee of the IEEE Solid-State Circuits Society (SSCS) for the past nine years. Under his leadership, the SSCS chapters have grown from a few to over 60 worldwide. He is an elected member of SSCS Administrative Committee and a SSCS Distinguished Lecturer.

Dr. Van der Spiegel is a recipient of the IEEE Third Millennium Medal, the UPS Foundation Distinguished Education Chair (1998-1999), the Bicentennial Class of 1940 Term Chair (1991-1996), and the Presidential Young Investigator Award (1984).  He also received the University of Pennsylvania Christian and Mary Lindback Foundation Award (1990), and the S. Reid Warren Award for Distinguished Teaching.  He was elected Fellow of the IEEE in 2002 “for contributions in biologically motivated sensors and information processing systems.”

Patricia C. Kucera“in recognition of continuing accomplishments with elementary students to understand and better appreciate mathematics and scientific principles”

Patricia C. Kucera received the B.A. degree in economics from Coe College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa (1974) and the M.S. degree in science education from the University of Iowa, Iowa City (1993). 

Mrs. Kucera has taught elementary school in Cedar Rapids, Iowa since 1984. She taught fourth grade students at St. Pius School (1984-1994) and fifth and eighth grade students at the Wilson School (1994-1999).  Since 1999, she has taught fourth grade students at Pierce Elementary School and serves as an elementary math trainer in the Cedar Rapids Community School District.  

In 2001, after attending NASA’s Space Camp for Educators in Huntsville, Alabama, working with a  team of local engineers, Mrs. Kucera implemented a Space Shuttle Simulation program for the fourth grade students at Pierce School.  This program is in its sixth year and involves approximately 75 fourth grade students annually.  It is a week-long experience of studying space, working collaboratively with students and engineers, and constructing a scale model of the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station.  The project culminates with shuttle mission simulation involving all fourth grade students.  Consistently, the students involved leave the experience with an increased interest in engineering.  Also in 2001,  Mrs. Kucera became involved with FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science, and Technology) LEGO League robotics program.  In partnership with Rockwell Collins, she was instrumental in establishing the program in the Cedar Rapids area.  The tournament grew from three teams to approximately thirty-five local area teams. Mrs. Kucera  serves on the Rockwell Collins FIRST LEGO League Advisory Board and is a trainer for new coaches. 

Mrs. Kucera has been an outstanding leader in math education. She developed and led math and science services for the district and was instrumental in the selection of research-based math programs. She coaches local teachers in data collection and the use of research-based math strategies of problem solving.  Because of the guidance and leadership provided by Mrs. Kucera, the Pierce community enjoys a rich environment with an emphasis on math, science, and technology.

Her awards include the 2007 Outstanding Coach for the State of Iowa FIRST LEGO League; 2006 Air Force Association’s Chapter Teacher of the Year General Charles A. Horner Chapter; 2003 FINE Math Research Fellowship;  2002 Rockwell Collins Outstanding Educational Initiative FIRST LEGO League;  2001 Rockwell Collins Outstanding Elementary Educator; and 1998 Connie Belin Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development Fellowship.

John L. Hennessy" for fundamental contributions to research and transfer to industry of RISC technology, and the strong impact that books he co-authored have had on the education of computer scientists and computer engineers worldwide”

John L. Hennessy (S’72, M’77, SM’89, F’91) received his Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering (1973) from Villanova University and his Master of Science (1975) )  and Ph.D. (1977) degrees in computer science from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.  He joined the faculty of Stanford University in 1977 as an assistant professor of electrical engineering and rose through the academic ranks to full professorship in 1986.  From 1987 to 2004 he was the inaugural Willard R. and Inez Kerr Bell Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

From 1983 to 1993, Dr. Hennessy was Director of the Computer Systems Laboratory, a research and teaching center operated by the Stanford Departments of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.  The laboratory fosters research in computer systems design. He served as chair of Computer Science from 1994 to 1996 and, in 1996, was named Dean of the School of Engineering. As Dean, he launched a five-year plan that laid the groundwork for new activities in bioengineering and biomedical engineering. In 1999, he was named Provost, the university’s chief academic and financial officer. In October 2000, he was inaugurated as Stanford University’s 10th president, and in 2005 he became the inaugural holder of the Bing Presidential Professorship.

A pioneer in computer architecture, in 1981 Dr. Hennessy drew together researchers to focus on a computer architecture known as RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer). RISC has revolutionized the computer industry by increasing performance while reducing costs. In addition to his role in the basic research, Dr. Hennessy helped transfer this technology to industry. In 1984, he co-founded MIPS Computer Systems, (now MIPS Technologies), which designs microprocessors. In recent years, his research has focused on the architecture of high-performance computers. He has lectured and published widely, and is the co-author of two internationally used undergraduate and graduate textbooks on computer architecture design.

Dr. Hennessy is a recipient of the 2000 IEEE John von Neumann Medal, the 2000 ASEE Benjamin Garver Lamme Award, the 2001 ACM Eckert-Mauchly Award, the 2001 Seymour Cray Computer Engineering Award, a 2004 NEC C&C Prize for lifetime achievement in computer science and engineering, and a 2005 Founders Award from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Sciences, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Association for Computing Machinery.  Dr. Hennessy was elected Fellow of the IEEE in 1991 “for contributions to the field of computer architecture, VLSI, programming language design, and their implementation, and for developments in reduced instruction set computing architectures.”  

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