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

Each year, the IEEE-USA Awards Program celebrates exceptional leaders who have made remarkable contributions to the engineering and technology community. We are proud to announce the 2024 IEEE-USA Award recipients, whose innovative efforts and dedication have significantly advanced their fields. 

Brianne Tengan, Young Professionals Coordinator for IEEE Region 6, is recognized for her visionary leadership in transforming student engagement among IEEE members.  She receives the Jim Watson Student Professional Awareness Achievement Award,  which honors IEEE members, including students, who volunteer their time and share their professional experiences with students to encourage active, lifelong IEEE membership. Her consistent efforts to engage and support students and young professionals, coupled with her leadership roles at local, regional, and national levels set her apart as a leader and champion of successful student-to-professional transitions nationwide. IEEE-USA leaders look forward to seeing Brianne’s continued accomplishments as an industrious professional and volunteer leader. This award is only one of IEEE-USA’s portfolio of Professionalism Awards.

Babu Chalamala, Senior Scientist at Sandia National Laboratories, has been selected as the honored recipient of the IEEE-USA Harry Diamond Award. Dr. Chalamala’s outstanding leadership and contributions to advancing grid energy storage technologies and applications in the field of electrotechnology make him a highly deserving recipient of this prestigious award, which seeks to identify individuals who make distinguished technical contributions in the field of electrotechnology while in U.S. Government Service. With his strong record of service and leadership roles within IEEE, significant engagement in supporting public understanding of science and technology, and support for R&D in science and engineering, IEEE-USA is pleased to celebrate Dr. Chalamala’s distinction.

Jeff Perry, Leadership and Career Coach for Engineers, is commended for his years of publications, authoring titles such as The Intentional Engineer, which provide significant aid to professionals looking to advance their careers. Perry is the recipient of the 2024 IEEE-USA Award for Distinguished Literary Contributions, which recognizes outstanding journalistic, or other textual efforts, contributing to the enhancement and expansion of the public understanding, and the advancement of the engineering profession in the United States. Through his written works, Perry’s effort to educate the public about engineering careers is evident.

IEEE-USA will be presenting these awards, in person, to each recipient at IEEE events within their respective regions. More information on IEEE-USA’s Awards Program, including the 2024 recipients, can be found at ieeeusa.org/awards.

Sincere thanks to everyone who submitted nominations, and congratulations to all the distinguished honorees. Mark your calendars for the 2025 IEEE-USA Awards Cycle, opening on 1 April 2025. 

 

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
202-530-8359 | j.yaglenski@ieee.org

Leah Laird
Staff, IEEE-USA Awards & Recognition
202-530-8328 | l.laird@ieee.org

IEEE-USA acknowledges leaders in a variety of fields who make outstanding contributions to the engineering and technologist community. We are proud to announce the 2023 IEEE-USA Award recipients. Thank you to everyone who submitted a nomination, and congratulations to all the honorees!

Professionalism Awards

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The IEEE-USA Robert S. Walleigh Distinguished Contributions to Engineering Professionalism Award

To honor IEEE members in the United States for long-term dedicated effort and outstanding accomplishments in advancing the aims of IEEE professional activities.

• Faye Kann (Region 5 West Area Chair, IEEE)
  For outstanding volunteer efforts and dedicated service in support of IEEE professional activities

The IEEE-USA Award for Distinguished Public Service

To honor an individual not currently in the practice of engineering for contributions in furthering the professional goals of IEEE in the United States by such means as (but not limited to) influencing laws or regulations benefiting the profession, industrial environments to foster professionalism curricula, or publications designed to enhance professionalism and other similar activities.

• Jennifer Fowler (Director, Arkansas National Science Foundation EPSCoR, Arkansas Economic Development Commission)
  For promoting innovation, technology, and workforce development in Arkansas and the U.S. heartland

The IEEE-USA George F. McClure Citation of Honor

To honor IEEE members who have made exemplary contributions toward securing recognition of professional activities in the United States.

• Dr. Asad M. Madni (Distinguished Adjunct Professor and Distinguished Scientist, University of California Los Angeles)
  For significant contributions to the engineering profession through mentorship, leadership, and philanthropy
• Dr. Alton Romig, Jr. (Executive Officer, National Academy of Engineering)
  For significant contributions to the aerospace industry, national security, and engineering policy

The IEEE-USA Entrepreneur Achievement Award for Leadership in Entrepreneurial Spirit

To recognize an IEEE member who has been instrumental in furthering both entrepreneurial growth and spirit in the United States.

• Dr. Ulrich Rohde (Adjunct Professor, George Washington University)
  For entrepreneurship in the fields of signal generation, signal processing electronics, and CAD tools

The K-12 STEM Literacy Committee Educator-Engineer Partnership Award

To honor pairs of K-12 educators and engineers that, through their joint collaboration, provide learning experiences to precollege students, support the education and curriculum requirements of their institution, promote and increase the math, science and engineering awareness of student participants, and/or support the educational goals of the IEEE and IEEE-USA.

• Leon Grant (Pre-Engineering Teacher, Marietta High School) and Dr. Erick Maxwell (Principal Research Engineer, Georgia Tech Research Institute)
  In recognition of exemplary collaboration leading to the development of Smart Medical Gloves

Technical Award

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The IEEE-USA Harry Diamond Memorial Award

To honor individuals for distinguished technical contributions in the field of electrotechnology while in U.S. Government Service.

• Dr. Muralidhar Rangaswamy, Fellow IEEE (Technical Lead for Radar Sensing, U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory)
  For outstanding contributions to theory and application of radar technology and adaptive signal processing for the U.S. Air Force
  

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We look forward to presenting these awards at an in-person ceremony to take place in the Summer of 2024. Nominations for the 2024 IEEE-USA Awards will open on 1 April 2024.

For more information, please contact:

Daryll Griffin
Program Manager, Career and Professional Activities
d.r.griffin@ieee.org
202-530-8337

Leah Laird
Senior Marketing & Communications Specialist
l.laird@ieee.org
202-530-8328

IEEE-USA is thrilled to announce the following recipients of the 2022 IEEE-USA Awards. Thank you to everyone who submitted a nomination, and congratulations to all the honorees!

Professionalism Awards

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The IEEE-USA Robert S. Walleigh Distinguished Contributions to Engineering Professionalism Award

To honor IEEE members in the United States for long-term dedicated effort and outstanding accomplishments in advancing the aims of IEEE professional activities.

• No recipient chosen
  

The IEEE-USA John Meredith Professional Service Award

To recognize individuals for outstanding IEEE-USA volunteer efforts and contributions.

• Dr. Veronika Rabl
  For distinguished service to the IEEE-USA Energy Policy Committee and effective policy advocacy for energy efficiency and electrification

The IEEE-USA Award for Distinguished Public Service

To honor an individual not currently in the practice of engineering for contributions in furthering the professional goals of IEEE in the United States by such means as (but not limited to) influencing laws or regulations benefiting the profession, industrial environments to foster professionalism curricula, or publications designed to enhance professionalism and other similar activities.

• Kevin Wheeler
  For preservation and growth of federal research and development funding for small businesses

The IEEE-USA George F. McClure Citation of Honor

To honor IEEE members who have made exemplary contributions toward securing recognition of professional activities in the United States.

• Dr. Ashutosh Dutta
  For distinguished leadership in the development of the International Network Generations Roadmap and bridging the gap between academia and industry
• Dr. Paul Sanberg
  For advancing academic and engineering innovation through the founding of the National Academy of Inventors

The IEEE-USA Jim Watson Student Professional Awareness Achievement Award

To recognize IEEE members for their contributions to Student-Professional Awareness Activities in the United States.

• No recipient chosen

The IEEE-USA Entrepreneur Achievement Award for Leadership in Entrepreneurial Spirit

To recognize an IEEE member who has been instrumental in furthering both entrepreneurial growth and spirit in the United States.

• Dr. Matt Francis
  For entrepreneurship through Ozark Integrated Circuits and for inspiring future STEM innovators through mentoring

The K-12 STEM Literacy Committee Educator-Engineer Partnership Award

To honor pairs of K-12 educators and engineers that, through their joint collaboration, provide learning experiences to precollege students, support the education and curriculum requirements of their institution, promote and increase the math, science and engineering awareness of student participants, and/or support the educational goals of the IEEE and IEEE-USA.

• Mr. Neville Jacobs and Mr. Alexander Dulce
  For outstanding and sustained contributions in STEM education and mentoring of underrepresented communities through the Baltimore Robot Challenge.

Technical Award

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The IEEE-USA Harry Diamond Memorial Award

To honor individuals for distinguished technical contributions in the field of electrotechnology while in U.S. Government Service.

• Dr. David Rivera
  For groundbreaking contributions in applied electromagnetic engineering resulting in advancements in the art and science of antenna design for submarine applications

Literary Award

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The IEEE-USA Award for Distinguished Literary Contributions Furthering Public Understanding and the Advancement of the Engineering Profession

To recognize outstanding journalistic or other efforts that contribute to the enhancement and expansion of the public understanding and the advancement of the engineering profession in the United States.

• Dr. Alice Parker and Dr. Leda Lunardi
  For inspiring the next generation of women in engineering through the book “Women in Microelectronics”

Nominations for the 2023 IEEE-USA Awards will open on 1 April 2023.

For more information, please contact:
David Iams
Senior Manager, Career and Professional Activities
d.iams@ieee.org
202-530-8374