For They Are Jolly Good (IEEE) Fellows
Three UA engineers have been made fellows of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the world's largest technical professional association, with more than 400,000 members in 160 countries.
UA Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering building.
The IEEE board of directors only confers fellowships upon engineers with an extraordinary record of accomplishments. The total number of fellows selected in any one year does not exceed one-tenth of one percent of the total voting membership.
The new IEEE fellows for 2012 are Kathie Melde, professor of electrical and computer engineering; Bane Vasić, professor of electrical engineering and mathematics; and Scott Tyo, professor of optical sciences and electrical and computer engineering.
IEEE cited Melde for contributions to tunable antennas and their integration in electrical packaging. She has spent her career on small antennas, establishing numerous patents, and her work has been used in many smart phone technologies.
"I am most proud of my continuing a legacy of excellence at the College of Engineering at the UA," Melde said. "This award shows the excellent work done by our graduate students as well, and they should share in that honor and recognition."
Vasić was cited for contributions to coding theory and its applications in data storage systems and optical communications. In particular, his error-correction research has played a vital role in ensuring that digital data keeps its integrity within computer communication and storage systems.
His coding-theory research is now being applied to improving the performance of the next generation of optical fiber links in local, metropolitan, and long-distance networks.
Vasić said the plaque awarded by IEEE will hang with his patent awards in his father's garage in the small town of Bela Palanka in Serbia, where he developed his interests in engineering and mathematics by helping his father on numerous projects. "My father always thought that I was a better mathematician than engineer," he said. "I doubt that even this highest recognition from the IEEE would have changed his mind."
Tyo was recognized for his antenna research, mostly for military applications. "Antennas affect virtually every aspect of modern communications," Tyo said. "Whether they are on your cell phone, in your car, or providing the satellite link for the television programs delivered to your house.".
"Elevation to fellow of the IEEE is a career ambition of any electrical engineering undergraduate student," Tyo said. "To have been elected to this grade is fantastic for me, and I am thankful to all of the great collaborators and mentors within the IEEE who have shaped my career and helped me to this recognition."
Tyo's IEEE citation reads: "For contributions to transient electromagnetics ultra-wideband antennas, and mesoband radiating systems."