IEEE Institute Awards

Program Highlights

The IEEE Awards Program proudly honored a diverse group of IEEE members and non-members in 2017. The program was pleased to integrate the expertise of our global volunteer network to administer 51 awards on behalf of the IEEE Board of Directors. The first IEEE Vision, Innovation, and Challenges Summit was held on 25 May 2017 at The Palace Hotel in San Francisco, CA, US. Speakers looked to the future of the tech industry and the impact engineers have on serving the global community. It culminated in the evening Honors Ceremony Gala.

Commemorating IEEE’s Highest Award

2017 marked the 100-year anniversary of the IEEE Medal of Honor. Sponsored by the IEEE Foundation, the Medal of Honor is awarded to an individual for an exceptional contribution or an extraordinary career in the IEEE fields of interest. To commemorate this milestone centennial anniversary, IEEE Awards created an exhibit—a “Wall of Fame”—displayed on the lower conference level of the IEEE Operations Center, Piscataway, NJ, US to recognize and showcase IEEE’s highest-level award recipients.

The unveiling took place on 7 September 2018, where Past Medal of Honor recipients, Board of Directors, Management Council, and Awards Board members, Special VIPs, and employees all gathered to watch 2017 IEEE President Karen Bartleson and Foundation Vice President H. Vincent Poor cut the ribbon to the exhibit. In his remarks, Poor said, “The IEEE Medal of Honor and its iconic recipients shine a light on the incredible work being undertaken by the IEEE professional community to advance technology and innovation. This wall showcases the hard work, dedication, and prestige of our members and volunteers.”

Measuring approximately 16ft wide and 7ft high, the Wall of Fame spans the length of the wall and consists of backlit translucent panels, each engraved with the name of the Medal of Honor recipient and the presentation year, to date. Between the panels are a copy of the Medal of Honor medallion and an interactive screen, which allows visitors to learn more information about the award, view recipient photos, and watch their presentation videos. The unveiling event is archived on IEEE.tv.

Karen Bartleson and Vincent Poor share remarks about the IEEE Medal of Honor Wall of Fame.

By The Numbers

  • 57: Technical Field Award, Medal, and Recognition recipients
  • 13: Different countries award recipients represented
  • 4: Different continents award recipients represented
  • 8: Ceremonies were held internationally
  • 31: IEEE Technical Field Award Committees of 7 members each, varied in geography, gender and expertise
View More Information

“Since 1917, the most important contributors to IEEE fields of interest have received the IEEE Medal of Honor in recognition of the critical roles they held in laying the foundations of the modern electric world.”—2017 IEEE President Karen Bartleson, in her opening remarks.

On his first visit to the IEEE Operations Center, Tom Kailath (2007 Medal of Honor recipient, Eminent Member of IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu, and IEEE Foundation donor) and his wife Anu were very impressed when they came to see the wall on 4 October 2017.