Bridging the Frontier Bob Smith, Executive Director
Bob Smith is Executive Director of the ESD Alliance responsible for its management and operations. Previously, Bob was senior vice president of Marketing and Business Development at Uniquify, responsible for brand development, positioning, strategy and business development activities. Bob began his … More » Phil Kaufman Award Goes on Hiatus for 2020November 16th, 2020 by Bob Smith, Executive Director
The Phil Kaufman Award for Distinguished Contributions to Electronic System Design goes on hiatus this year. Members of the selection committee from the sponsors –– the ESD Alliance and the IEEE Council on Electronic Design Automation (CEDA) –– made the difficult decision to postpone this year’s award until September 2021. Anyone who’s attended the dinner ceremony knows it is central to celebrating the recipient’s contributions to the industry and accomplishments. Hosting an in-person awards dinner in early 2021 is unlikely, which made postponing the 2020 award inevitable. Nevertheless, nominations submitted in 2020 will be treated as new nominations for 2021. As always, past nominations from 2017 through 2019 will also be considered for 2021. Additional nominations will be solicited in early 2021. The Phil Kaufman Award is the Oscars, Grammys and Tony Award for the electronic system design ecosystem all rolled into one. First presented in 1994, it honors individuals who have had an impact on the field of electronic system design through technology innovations, education/mentoring, or business or industry leadership. The award was established as a tribute to Phil Kaufman, the late industry pioneer who turned innovative technologies into commercial businesses that have benefited electronic designers. Since 1994, recipients include academics, technologists, entrepreneurs, business leaders and investors.
While we hit the pause button on the award, the electronic system design ecosystem is still innovating as it always has. For anyone in need of a spark of inspiration, we look no further than the impressive list of past recipients and applaud their triumphs and affect each one has on our industry. The first recipient was Hermann K. Gummel. Dr. Mary Jane Irwin, Evan PughProfessor and A. Robert Noll Chair Emeritus in Engineering in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Pennsylvania State University, was the 25th award recipient. Other Award Recipients: Contributions from researchers, technologists and other luminary recipients of the award cannot be overstated and many of the technical innovations become industry standards. These innovations enabled the fabless semiconductor ecosystem, improved and streamlined fabrication, advanced the relationship between design and manufacturing and so much more. The broader electronics products market is well supported by the electronic system design ecosystem and the Phil Kaufman Award recipients past, present and future. To learn more about the ESD Alliance and our other programs and initiatives, visit the ESD Alliance website. Or contact me at bsmith@semi.org to learn more. If your company is already a SEMI member, becoming a member of the ESD Alliance means submitting a short application with no extra fee. If your company is not a SEMI member yet, it can apply at the same time to join the ESD Alliance. Again, no extra fee is associated with being a part of the ESD Alliance. Follow the ESD Alliance ESD Alliance Bridging the Frontier blog Twitter: @ESDAlliance |