IEEE‑USA is proud to announce the 2025 Awards recipients—exceptional innovators whose work advances technology, strengthens the engineering profession, and serves communities across the United States. Thank you to everyone who submitted a nomination this cycle.
Robert S. Walleigh Distinguished Contributions to Engineering Professionalism Award
Honors long‑term, outstanding accomplishments that advance IEEE professional activities in the U.S.
Dr. Karen Panetta, Distinguished Professor & Dean of Graduate Education, Tufts University School of Engineering
Citation: “For leadership innovating educational programs and technology exemplifying the impact of the profession to benefit humanity and inspiring future generations.”
Highlight: Panetta’s image‑enhancement technologies are used globally in airport security, medical imaging, and disaster response—improving safety and quality of life for millions.
John Meredith Professional Service Award
Recognizes outstanding IEEE‑USA volunteer efforts and contributions.
Dr. Brendan B. Godfrey
Citation: “For exemplary service in enhancing the voice of IEEE‑USA members in the Nation’s Capital.”
Highlight: Godfrey led authorship of IEEE‑USA positions on fundamental research, defense science, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, and technical leadership, strengthening IEEE‑USA’s policy impact and has served as Chair on all 3 major IEEE-USA committees.
George F. McClure Citation of Honor
Honors exemplary contributions toward achieving IEEE‑USA’s professional activities in the U.S.
- Dr. Joseph L. Greene, Research Engineer, Georgia Tech Research Institute
Citation: “For turning initiative into action developing programs and materials for thousands of IEEE student members.”
Highlight: From revitalizing Boston University’s IEEE‑HKN chapter to founding a global mentoring program with 850+ logged hours across six continents, his work has built leadership pathways impacting thousands of students worldwide each year. - Sampathkumar Veeraraghavan, President, Brahmam Innovations; Senior Technology & Program Management Leader, Amazon
Citation: “For inspiring leadership and pioneering contributions advancing IEEE‑USA professional activities and the engineering profession through social innovations and impactful global programs.”
Highlight: As Global Chair of IEEE SIGHT and HAC, he launched record‑breaking, high-impact humanitarian technology programs that reached thousands across IEEE Regions 1-6. - Chamika Sudusinghe, Ph.D. Student, University of Illinois Urbana‑Champaign
Citation: “For exemplary leadership in advancing student professional awareness through IEEE Volunteering, IEEE ELEVATE, and Virtual Career Fairs, and for strengthening student‑to‑YP transitions across the United States.”
Highlight: Sudusinghe launched IEEE ELEVATE (a project mentoring program) and pioneered IEEE’s first region-wide Virtual Career Fair, a scalable model now expanding across U.S. Regions and beyond.
Entrepreneur Achievement Award for Leadership in Entrepreneurial Spirit
Recognizes IEEE members who exemplify entrepreneurial spirit and have commercialized technology products/services that advance society.
Bhaskara Raju Rallabandi, Co‑Founder & CTO, Invences Inc.; IEEE Senior Member
Citation: “For entrepreneurial leadership in founding and scaling a U.S.-based technology company, advancing innovation in 5G/6G and Open RAN, shaping global standards, and inspiring future leaders through mentorship and community impact.”
Highlight: Rallabandi’s work spans private 5G deployments, rural connectivity pilots, and AI‑driven orchestration—illustrating how entrepreneurship can deliver societal impact alongside U.S. technology leadership.
Jim Watson Student Professional Awareness Achievement Award
Recognizes key contributors to Student Professional Awareness activities in the U.S.
Alberto Tam Yong, Senior Electrical Engineer, Applied Medical (or Regional Student Activities Chair, IEEE Region 6)
Citation: “For exemplary dedication to supporting IEEE student members and facilitating their transition to young professionals through impactful volunteer leadership and mentorship.”
Highlight: Tam Yong led programs that boosted Student Branch reporting by 307% and revived long-dormant technical competitions—empowering hundreds of students to lead and engage as active IEEE members.
K–12 STEM Literacy Educator–Engineer Partnership Award
Honors educator–engineer collaborations that provide learning experiences to precollege students and support IEEE/IEEE‑USA education goals.
Melody Richardson & Dr. LaShawn McMillan
Citation: “For leading outstanding programs like IEEE Atlanta Family STEM Nights which empower several K‑12 students beyond curriculum to understand STEM better.”
Highlight: What began as a single event at Ashford Park Elementary in 2016 spread through word‑of‑mouth and school‑to‑school relationships, evolving into a partnership that has now delivered 1,000+ interactive STEM experiences and reached 14,500+ students and families across 12 schools.
Harry Diamond Memorial Award
Honors distinguished electrotechnology contributions while in U.S. government service.
Dr. Erik P. Blasch, Program Officer, Air Force Research Laboratory
Citation: “For contributions in the exploitation of electrotechnology sensing for situation awareness.”
Highlight: Blasch’s pioneering research, 80+ patents, and open‑architecture deployments (including the AF Distributed Common Ground System and the Team Awareness Kit) have transformed multi‑sensor fusion at scale.
Award for Distinguished Literary Contributions
Recognizes outstanding efforts that expand public understanding and/or advance the engineering profession in the United States.
Avishkar (“Avi”) Nikum, Sr. Security Industry Specialist, Amazon.com Services LLC
Citation: “For exceptional literary contributions across multimedia platforms that transformed public understanding of cybersecurity engineering, reaching 22,000+ individuals through innovative multilingual content spanning academic publications, broadcast media, and digital journalism.”
Highlight: Nikum’s multilingual storytelling and peer‑reviewed work have influenced Fortune 500 practices and helped communities prevent fraud through accessible cybersecurity education.
Nominate a 2026 Awardee
Nominations for the next cycle open March 15, 2026. Explore award criteria and start your nomination at IEEE‑USA Awards & Recognition.
About IEEE-USA:
IEEE-USA serves the public good and promotes the careers and public policy interests of more than 150,000 engineering, computing and technology professionals who are U.S. members of IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional organization.
Contact:
Jonathon Choe
Staff, IEEE-USA Awards & Recognition
202-530-8363 | j.choe@ieee.org
Leah Laird
Staff, IEEE-USA Awards & Recognition
202-530-8328 | l.laird@ieee.org
