OSA NEWS

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS ENGINEER RECEIVES NATION'S TOP TECHNOLOGY HONOR

--Nick Holonyak to be honored by President Bush--

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Dr. Nick Holonyak, Jr., a professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, was named today a 2002 National Medal of Technology Laureate.

Holonyak, the John Bardeen Chair in Electrical and Computer Engineering and Physics, is part of a team that will be presented Medals by President Bush next month in Washington, DC.

The Illinois professor was recognized for his contributions "to the development and commercialization of light-emitting diode technology, with applications to digital displays, consumer electronics, automotive lighting, traffic signals and general illumination."

Holonyak's teammates include M. George Craford of Lumileds Lighting in San Jose, California, and Russell Dean Dupuis of the Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Ga.

A native of Zeigler, Illinois, Holonyak has been at the University of Illinois since 1963. He has been granted 16 patents, and over the past 25 years he has conducted extensive research on quantum-well and other novel light-emitting structures.

In 1990 he was awarded the National Medal of Science by President George Bush for "his contributions as one of the Nation's most prolific inventors in the area of semiconductor materials and devices, and for his role as research mentor while working at the forefront of solid-state science and technology."

President Bush will recognize Holonyak and the other technology laureates at a White House ceremony on November 6. In addition, eight National Medal of Science Laureates have also been named.

The National Medal of Science honors individuals in a variety of fields for pioneering scientific research that has led to a better understanding of the world around us, as well as to the innovations and technologies that give the United States its global economic edge. The National Science Foundation administers the award, established by Congress in 1959. When the President confers the awards, 409 distinguished scientists and engineers will have received the medal. For more information about the National Medal of Science visit http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/awards/nms/medal.htm. For more detailed information on the 2002 Medal of Science recipients see http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/news/03/pr03121.htm.

The National Medal of Technology recognizes men and women who embody the spirit of American innovation and have advanced the nation's global competitiveness. Their groundbreaking contributions commercialize technologies, create jobs, improve productivity and stimulate the nation's growth and development. This award, established by Congress in 1980, is administered by the Department of Commerce. As the President presents this year's awards, 146 recipients will have been honored with the medal. For more information about the National Medal of Technology visit http://www.technology.gov/medal.

More information about the laureates can be found on the National Science & Technology Medals Foundation Web site at http://www.asee.org/nstmf

The 2002 National Medal of Science Laureates:

Biological Sciences

• James E. Darnell, Jr., Rockefeller University, New York, N.Y.
• Evelyn M. Witkin, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J.

Chemistry

• John I. Brauman, Stanford University, Palo Alto, Calif.

Engineering

• Leo L. Beranek, BBN Technologies, Cambridge, Mass.
  

Contact:

Joe Sutherland 301.652.1558
jsutherland@burnesscommunications.com

Marjorie Weisskohl, US Department of Commerce
For Technology Medals: 202.482.0149
Marjorie.Weisskohl@ta.doc.gov