In May of 2002, President George W. Bush awarded the National Medal of Technology to Jerry M. Woodall, the C. Baldwin Sawyer Professor of Electrical Engineering -- making him the first Yale professor to receive the prestigious award.
Woodall has done pioneering research on compound semiconductor materials and devices over a career spanning four decades. Fully half of the world's annual sales of compound semiconductor components are made possible by his research legacy.
He invented many electronic and optoelectronic devices commonly seen in modern life, including the red light-emitting diodes (LEDs) used in indicators and stoplights; the infrared LEDs used in CD players, TV remote controls and computer networks; the high speed transistors used in cell phones and satellites; and high-efficiency solar cells used to power satellites.
Woodall was cited for the invention and development of technologically and commercially important compound semiconductor heterojunction materials, processes and related devices, such as LEDs, lasers, ultra-fast transistors and solar cells.
"I am delighted and honored," said Woodall, who joined the Yale faculty in 1999 after a long career at the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center. "It is truly a seminal marker for my career at this point. I look forward to being a role model and mentor to other aspiring National Medal of Technology laureates."
President Richard C. Levin said, "This award is a true reflection of the important work Professor Woodall has done. It is also a reflection of the high caliber of faculty Yale Engineering is attracting."
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