Every year, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) pauses to recognize the individual researchers, pioneering innovators, and collaborative teams whose profound technical achievements and visionary leadership have left a lasting, indelible impact on technology, engineering, and society worldwide. Through its prestigious Technical Field Awards, the organization honors those who tackle some of the most complex challenges facing the modern scientific community.
The process of selecting these honorees is rigorous and demanding. Candidates are carefully evaluated by the IEEE Awards Board based on the extraordinary nature of their technical achievements, their tangible societal impact, and their demonstrated leadership within specialized engineering disciplines. Once the board makes its selections, the choices are formally submitted to and approved by the IEEE Board of Directors, cementing the awards as one of the highest global honors in the engineering profession.
Reflecting on the significance of the upcoming class, Mary Ellen Randall, 2026 IEEE president and CEO, highlighted the profound reach of their work in a news release.
"The 2027 IEEE Technical Field Award recipients embody the relentless spirit of innovation and ingenuity that defines our global community," Randall said. "Across microelectronics, artificial intelligence, medical robotics, wireless networks, energy conversion, and technical education, their groundbreaking accomplishments continue to push the boundaries of science and solve critical challenges for the benefit of humanity."
The 2027 recipients represent a diverse and impactful spectrum of disciplines, ranging from medical advancements and data storage to power systems, consumer technology, and educational mentorship.
IEEE Technical Field Award Recipients
IEEE Biomedical Engineering Award
Sponsors: IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology, IEEE Circuits and Systems, and IEEE Signal Processing societies
The IEEE Biomedical Engineering Award has been awarded to IEEE Life Fellow Kullervo Hynynen, affiliated with the Sunnybrook Research Institute in Toronto and the University of Toronto. Hynynen is recognized "for pioneering contributions to the development, advancement, and clinical translation of therapeutic ultrasound." His work has significantly shaped how non-invasive medical procedures utilize sound waves to treat various conditions, transforming clinical practices and improving patient outcomes.
IEEE Cledo Brunetti Award
Sponsor: The Brunetti Bequest
The IEEE Cledo Brunetti Award recognizes contributions to miniaturization and related technologies. For 2027, the honor is shared by three researchers from Seagate Technology in Cupertino, California: IEEE Member Edward Charles Gage, IEEE Fellow Ganping Ju, and IEEE Fellow Jan-Ulrich Thiele. The trio is being honored "for contributions to heat-assisted magnetic technology powering ultra-high-capacity hard disk drives and enabling greater storage of digital information." Their breakthroughs have directly addressed the ever-increasing global demand for denser, more efficient digital data storage.
IEEE Roger W. Brockett Control Systems Award
Sponsors: IEEE Control Systems Society and Friends and Family of Roger W. Brockett
In the field of control systems, IEEE Life Fellow Arjan van der Schaft, retired from the Bernoulli Institute at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, has been selected for the IEEE Roger W. Brockett Control Systems Award. Van der Schaft is recognized "for contributions to robust and geometric approaches to nonlinear control, hybrid systems, and the control of physical systems," establishing fundamental mathematical and practical frameworks that govern complex automated systems.
IEEE Electromagnetics Award
Sponsors: IEEE Antennas and Propagation, IEEE Electromagnetic Compatibility, IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing, and IEEE Microwave Theory and Technology societies
The IEEE Electromagnetics Award goes to IEEE Fellow Zoya Popović of the University of Colorado Boulder. Popović is honored "for contributions to microwave and millimeter-wave circuit designs, including power amplifiers, power-combining, and wireless power systems." Her research has advanced the efficiency and applicability of high-frequency wireless communications and power distribution.
IEEE James L. Flanagan Speech and Audio Processing Award
Sponsor: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories (MERL)
IEEE Life Fellow Chin-Hui Lee of Georgia Tech has been named the recipient of the IEEE James L. Flanagan Speech and Audio Processing Award. Lee is recognized "for contributions to and leadership in technologies that enable automatic speech and speaker recognition, including innovations in adaptive learning and discriminative training." His work forms the bedrock of modern voice-activated systems and human-computer spoken interactions.
IEEE Fourier Award for Signal Processing
Sponsor: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories (MERL)
The IEEE Fourier Award for Signal Processing has been awarded to IEEE Fellow Nicholas Dimitrios Sidiropoulos of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Sidiropoulos is being recognized "for contributions to signal processing methods for analyzing complex data and identifying patterns in multiple dimensions." His advanced mathematical techniques help parse massive, multidimensional data streams across telecommunications and analytics.
IEEE Andrew S. Grove Award
Sponsor: IEEE Electron Devices Society
Honoring foundational work in solid-state devices and technology, the IEEE Andrew S. Grove Award is presented to IEEE Fellow John Robert Brews, retired from the University of Arizona in Tucson. Brews is recognized "for foundational contributions to the physics and technology underlying MOS devices and circuits," work that has underpinned decades of semiconductor evolution and metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor development.
IEEE Masaru Ibuka Consumer Technology Award
Sponsor: Sony Group Corporation
The IEEE Masaru Ibuka Consumer Technology Award goes to IEEE Honorary Member Mike Lazaridis of Quantum Valley Investments in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Lazaridis is honored "for transformative contributions to mobile communication through visionary leadership that reshaped global consumer technology," acknowledging his pivotal role in creating mobile platforms that fundamentally altered how society communicates.
IEEE Internet Award
Sponsor: Google LLC
For crucial insights into global digital infrastructure, IEEE Fellow Matthew Roughan of Adelaide University in Australia has won the IEEE Internet Award. Roughan is recognized "for foundational contributions to analyzing Internet traffic and network structures, enabling better network management and understanding." His analytical frameworks allow network engineers to monitor, predict, and optimize traffic flow across the global web.
IEEE Richard Harold Kaufmann Award
Sponsor: IEEE Industry Applications Society
The IEEE Richard Harold Kaufmann Award is presented to IEEE Fellow Akshay Kumar Rathore of the National University of Singapore. Rathore is honored "for developing innovative current-fed and multilevel power electronics converters," advancing the efficiency of power conversion systems utilized in industrial manufacturing and energy distribution.
IEEE Joseph F. Keithley Award in Instrumentation and Measurement
Sponsors: Tektronix Inc. and the IEEE Instrumentation and Measurement Society
IEEE Life Fellow Pasquale Daponte of the University of Sannio in Benevento, Italy, has received the IEEE Joseph F. Keithley Award in Instrumentation and Measurement. Daponte is recognized "for contributions to the measurement and standardization of analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters," ensuring greater precision and reliability in how digital systems interpret analog real-world phenomena.
IEEE Gustav Robert Kirchhoff Award
Sponsor: IEEE Circuits and Systems Society
The IEEE Gustav Robert Kirchhoff Award has been awarded to IEEE Life Fellow Janusz Rajski of Siemens Digital Industries Software in Wilsonville, Oregon. Rajski is honored "for contributions to testing digital integrated circuits at the silicon level," innovations that have helped guarantee the reliability and defect-free manufacturing of complex modern microchips.
IEEE Leon K. Kirchmayer Graduate Teaching Award
Sponsor: The IEEE Leon K. Kirchmayer Memorial Fund
Recognizing excellence in education, IEEE Life Fellow Rama Chellappa of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore has been awarded the IEEE Leon K. Kirchmayer Graduate Teaching Award. Chellappa is recognized "for contributions to multi-disciplinary graduate education and mentoring of doctoral students in image processing, computer vision, and pattern recognition," having guided generations of young researchers into impactful engineering careers.
IEEE Koji Kobayashi Computers and Communications Award
Sponsor: NEC Corporation
The IEEE Koji Kobayashi Computers and Communications Award is presented to IEEE Member Amin Vahdat of Google in Mountain View, California. Vahdat is honored "for developing network systems that scale data centers to support modern cloud computing and machine learning," innovations that directly enable the massive computational throughput required by contemporary artificial intelligence applications.
IEEE Arun N. Netravali Video Analytics, Technology, and Systems Award
Sponsor: Nokia Bell Labs
Three researchers share the IEEE Arun N. Netravali Video Analytics, Technology, and Systems Award: IEEE Life Member Jens-Rainer Ohm, professor emeritus at RWTH Aachen University in Germany; IEEE Life Fellow Gary J. Sullivan of Dolby Laboratories in San Francisco; and IEEE Member Benjamin Bross of the Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunications Heinrich-Hertz-Institut in Berlin. They are recognized "for leadership in and contributions to developing the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) international standard, which improves the efficiency of digital video compression." Their standardization efforts have drastically reduced bandwidth requirements for global video streaming.
IEEE William E. Newell Power Electronics Award
Sponsor: IEEE Power Electronics Society
The IEEE William E. Newell Power Electronics Award has been awarded to IEEE Fellow Paolo Mattavelli of the University of Padova in Padua, Italy. Mattavelli is recognized "for contributions to advanced modeling and control of power electronics converters," improving the stability and performance of power conversion networks.
IEEE Donald O. Pederson Award in Solid-State Circuits
Sponsor: IEEE Solid-State Circuits Society
IEEE Life Fellow Wanda Kay Gass, retired from Texas Instruments in Bellevue, Washington, has received the IEEE Donald O. Pederson Award in Solid-State Circuits. Gass is honored "for pioneering contributions to programmable digital signal processing systems through innovations in circuit design, system architecture, and silicon compilers." Her architectural work helped commercialize flexible, high-speed digital signal processing.
IEEE Frederik Philips Award
Sponsor: The IEEE Frederik Philips Award Fund
The IEEE Frederik Philips Award is presented to IEEE Member Ann B. Kelleher, retired from Intel in Portland, Oregon. Kelleher is recognized "for leading the historic advancement of CMOS process technology, culminating in the first node with backside power delivery," a monumental manufacturing milestone in semiconductor scaling and power management.
IEEE Photonics Award
Sponsor: IEEE Photonics Society
IEEE Life Fellow Martin David Dawson of the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow has won the IEEE Photonics Award. Dawson is honored "for contributions to microstructured and wide-bandgap semiconductor optoelectronics and for leadership in technological innovation," bridging foundational material science with practical optical applications.
IEEE Robotics and Automation Award
Sponsor: IEEE Robotics and Automation Society
The IEEE Robotics and Automation Award is awarded to IEEE Life Fellow Russell H. Taylor of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Taylor is recognized "for contributions to, leadership in, and the clinical translation of surgical and medical robotics," paving the way for computer-assisted surgical systems that enhance precision in the operating room.
IEEE Frank Rosenblatt Award
Sponsor: IEEE Computational Intelligence Society
In the field of computational intelligence, IEEE Life Fellow Shun-ichi Amari of Teikyo University in Tokyo has been named the recipient of the IEEE Frank Rosenblatt Award. Amari is honored "for foundational contributions to neural network theory and information geometry," laying down mathematical principles that continue to inform modern machine learning and artificial intelligence architectures.
IEEE Marie Sklodowska-Curie Award
Sponsor: IEEE Nuclear and Plasma Sciences Society
Victor Malka of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, has been awarded the IEEE Marie Sklodowska-Curie Award. Malka is recognized "for leadership in the development of laser-driven particle sources and advancing the technology toward practical applications," opening new avenues for compact particle acceleration.
IEEE Innovation in Societal Infrastructure Award
Sponsors: Hitachi, Ltd. and the IEEE Computer Society
The IEEE Innovation in Societal Infrastructure Award is shared by three researchers: IEEE Fellow Jaideep Vaidya of Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey; IEEE Senior Member Lucila Ohno-Machado of the Yale School of Medicine; and IEEE Senior Member Xiaoqian Jiang of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. They are recognized "for leadership in designing and deploying privacy-preserving distributed clinical research infrastructures that enable secure, large-scale collaboration using health data." Their frameworks allow medical institutions to pool insights safely without compromising patient confidentiality.
IEEE Charles Proteus Steinmetz Award
Sponsor: IEEE Standards Association
Recognizing leadership in technical standards, IEEE Life Fellow Mehmet Ulema, professor emeritus at Manhattan University in New York City, has received the IEEE Charles Proteus Steinmetz Award. Ulema is honored "for leadership in the development and standardization of architecture, management, and protocols used in wireless communications and data networks." His consensus-driven work has helped ensure interoperability across global telecommunication networks.
IEEE Eric E. Sumner Award
Sponsor: Nokia Bell Labs
The IEEE Eric E. Sumner Award goes to IEEE Fellow Gerhard Fettweis of the Technische Universität Dresden Barkhausen Institut in Germany. Fettweis is recognized "for contributions to physical-layer communication technology that have had an impact on the global wireless industry," shaping how radio waves transmit data efficiently across cellular and wireless systems.
IEEE Nikola Tesla Award
Sponsors: Wolong Electric Group Co. Ltd. and the IEEE Industry Applications and IEEE Power & Energy societies
The IEEE Nikola Tesla Award has been awarded to IEEE Life Fellow Pragasen Pillay of Concordia University in Montreal. Pillay is honored "for contributions to the modeling, design, and application of electric machines in industrial, transportation, and renewable energy applications," improving the efficiency of electric motors utilized across various sectors.
IEEE Kiyo Tomiyasu Award
Sponsors: The late Dr. Kiyo Tomiyasu and the IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing and the IEEE Microwave Theory and Technology societies
IEEE Fellow Yun Raymond Fu of Northeastern University in Boston has received the IEEE Kiyo Tomiyasu Award. Fu is recognized "for contributions to computer vision and augmented human-machine interaction," advancing how machines perceive visual environments and interact naturally with human users.
IEEE Transportation Technologies Award
Sponsors: IEEE Industry Applications, IEEE Industrial Electronics, IEEE Intelligent Transportation Systems, IEEE Microwave Theory and Technology, IEEE Power Electronics, IEEE Power & Energy, and IEEE Vehicular Technology societies
The IEEE Transportation Technologies Award is presented to IEEE Fellow Chunting Chris Mi of San Diego State University. Mi is honored "for contributions to advancing electric and hybrid electric vehicle technologies," helping accelerate the transition toward more efficient and sustainable electrified transportation systems.
IEEE Rao R. Tummala Electronics Packaging Award
Sponsors: IEEE Electronics Packaging Society and Friends of Rao R. Tummala
IEEE Fellow Ravi Mahajan of Intel in Chandler, Arizona, has won the IEEE Rao R. Tummala Electronics Packaging Award. Mahajan is recognized "for contributions to the development of technology that connects multiple chips within advanced electronic packages," addressing crucial density and thermal dissipation challenges in modern semiconductor manufacturing.
IEEE Undergraduate Teaching Award
Sponsor: IEEE Education Society
The IEEE Undergraduate Teaching Award goes to IEEE Fellow Rhonda Rene Franklin of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. Franklin is honored "for leadership in advancing inclusive workforce development initiatives that create clear and accessible career pathways via undergraduate engineering education," strengthening diversity and accessibility within the engineering talent pipeline.
IEEE Lotfi A. Zadeh Award for Emerging Technologies
Sponsor: IEEE Systems, Man, and Cybernetics Society
Finally, the IEEE Lotfi A. Zadeh Award for Emerging Technologies is presented to IEEE Life Fellow Peng Shi of Adelaide University in Australia. Shi is recognized "for contributions to artificial intelligence-based methods for robust control and filtering in complex systems," blending machine learning methodologies with advanced control theory.
Nominations are now open for the 2028 Technical Field Awards. The deadline to submit a nomination is 15 January.
