Victor B. Lawrence and John O. Dabiri receive US national medals
Ghanaian-American engineer, Victor B. Lawrence, and Nigerian-American aeronautics engineer, John Oluseun Dabiri have received the United States ‘National Medal of Technology and Innovation’ and the ‘National Medal of Science,’ respectively.
The two are part of the latest recipients of U.S. highest honours for exemplary achievement and leadership in science and technology. According to President Biden, those who earn these awards embody the promise of America by pushing the boundaries of what is possible.
They have harnessed the power of science and technology to tackle challenging problems and deliver innovative solutions for Americans and for communities around the world.
For 65 years, the President of the United States has bestowed the ‘National Medal of Science’ on those deserving of special recognition for their outstanding contributions to science in service to the United States. This medal was established by Congress in 1959 and is administered by the U.S. National Science Foundation.
‘The National Medal of Technology and Innovation’ was first awarded in 1985, and it recognizes American innovators whose vision, intellect, creativity, and determination have strengthened America’s economy and improved our quality of life. The medal was established by Congress in 1980 and is administered by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Victor B. Lawrence
Victor Lawrence was awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. He’s credited with seminal contributions in digital signal processing for multimedia communications. During his 30-plus-year tenure at Bell Laboratories, Lawrence made extensive and fundamental personal contributions to voice, data, audio, and video communications.
He led numerous projects that significantly improved or enhanced every phase in the evolution of early low-speed and today’s high-speed data communications. He is a Research Professor and Director of the Center for Intelligent Networked Systems (iNetS) at Stevens Institute of Technology, where he also served as Associate Dean. Lawrence was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2016.
He is a Member of the National Academy of Engineering, a Fellow of the IEEE for contributions to the understanding of quantization effects in digital signal processors and the applications of digital signal processing to data communications. He’s also a Fellow of AT&T Bell Labs, and a Charter Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors.
John Oluseun Dabiri
John Dabiri was awarded the National Medal of Science. He’s the Centennial Chair Professor at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), with appointments in the Graduate Aerospace Laboratories (GALCIT) and Mechanical Engineering.
He is known for his research on biological fluid dynamics in the ocean, of which examples are the hydrodynamics of jellyfish propulsion, and the design of a vertical-axis wind farm adapted from schooling fish. His research focuses on unsteady fluid mechanics and flow physics, with particular emphasis on topics relevant to biology, energy, and the environment.
Other recipients
Recipients of the National Medal of Science
- Richard B. Alley
- Larry Martin Bartels
- Bonnie L. Bassler
- Angela Marie Belcher
- Helen M. Blau
- Emery Neal Brown
- Ingrid Daubechies
- Cynthia Dwork
- R. Lawrence Edwards
- Wendy L. Freedman
- Keivan G. Stassun
- G. David Tilman
- Teresa Kaye Woodruff
Recipients of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation
- Martin Cooper
- Jennifer A. Doudna
- Eric R. Fossum
- Paula T. Hammond
- Kristina M. Johnson
- David R. Walt
- Paul G. Yock
- Feng Zhang
National Medal of Technology and Innovation Organization Recipients
- Moderna, Inc.
- Pfizer Inc.
Oral Ofori is Founder and Publisher at www.TheAfricanDream.net, a digital storyteller and producer, and also an information and research consultant.
