Top tech award for Paulraj

25th November 2010
Top tech award for Paulraj
A. Paulraj:

India-born Arogyaswamy Paulraj, Emeritus Professor of Electrical Engineering at Stanford University and a key contributor to the technology of WiMAX has been honoured by the Institution of Electronics and Electrical Engineers with the prestigious Alexander Graham Bell Medal for 2011. The medal arguably the top international award in technology, cites Dr Paulraj’s “pioneering contributions to the application of multi-antenna technology to wireless communication systems” – a reference to his work in MIMO – Multiple In Multiple Out -- that dramatically increases the performance of broadband wireless systems. It led Business Week magazine ( Now Bloomberg Business Week) to call him the ‘Father of WiMAX”.


In Stanford since 1993, Paulraj had a distinguished career in India, where he served the Indian Navy for over a decade and led the team that developed India’s first indigenous anti submarine detection system. He also helped set up three national level laboratories -- Center for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, Center for Advanced Computing, and Central Research Laboratories (1986-91).

The author of over 320 research papers and holder of thirty US patents in Wireless, Paulraj founded Iospan Wireless Inc., in 1999, a startup which pioneered fixed wireless technology and developed chip sets for fixed wireless systems. Iospan was acquired by Intel Corporation in 2002.

In 2004, Paulraj co-founded Beceem Communications, Inc. to develop base band and RF chips sets for WIMAX 802.16e standard. The company has emerged as the leading supplier of Mobile WIMAX chip sets worldwide.It was acquired in recent weeks by Broadcom and Paulraj continues to advise the new entity on technology matters.

Paulraj is a member of the US National Academy of Engineering where he was elected for his pioneering leadership in MIMO wireless. He was honoured with the Padma Bhushan by the Indian government in January 2010.  Nov 25 2010