Ernst Weber (engineer)

Ernst Weber
Born	September 6, 1901 Vienna, Austria
Died	February 16, 1996 (aged 94) Columbus, North Carolina
Citizenship	United States
Fields	Electrical Engineering
Known for	Pioneer microwave technologies, history Polytechnic Institute of New York University, first president of IEEE, co-founder NAE
Notable awards	AIEE Education Medal (1960), IEEE Founders Medal (1971), National Medal of Science (1987)

Ernst Weber (September 6, 1901 in Vienna, Austria – February 16, 1996 in Columbus, North Carolina), Austria-born American electrical engineer, was a pioneer in microwave technologies and played an important role in the history of the Polytechnic Institute of New York University, where in 1945 he founded the Microwave Research Institute (later renamed the Weber Research Institute in his honor). Weber was also the first president of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and one of the founders of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering (NAE).^[1][2][3][4]

Education and early years in Austria and Germany

Weber was born in Vienna, Austria. In 1924 he graduated with an engineering degree, and started working for the Siemens-Schuckert company as electrical engineer, initially in Vienna. In the mean time he studied further and earned two doctorates, a Ph.D. in 1926 from the University of Vienna and a Sc.D. in 1927 from the Technical University of Vienna. Early 1929 he moved to Siemens-Schuckert headquarters in Berlin, Germany and started teaching at the Technical University of Berlin.^[2][3]

Awards and honors

Ernst Weber received several awards and honors, including:^[2][3]

• The U.S. President's Certificate of Merit from President Harry S. Truman in 1948
• The AIEE Education Medal in 1960, “for excellence as a teacher in science and electrical engineering, for creative contributions in research and development, for broad professional and administrative leadership and in all for a considerate approach to human relations”^[5]
• Eta Kappa Nu naming him an Eminent Member in 1962^[6]
• The IEEE Founders Medal in 1971, “for leadership in the advancement of the electrical and electronics engineering profession in the fields of education, engineering societies, industry and government”^[7]
• The Microwave Career Award from the IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society in 1977^[8]
• The U.S. National Medal of Science from President Ronald Reagan in 1987^[9]

• To honor him, IEEE renamed in 1996 the IEEE Engineering Leadership Recognition Award to IEEE Ernst Weber Engineering Leadership Recognition.^[10]

Books

Ernst Weber; Frederik Nebeker (1994). The Evolution of Electrical Engineering: A Personal Perspective. IEEE Press. ISBN 0-7803-1066-7.

References

1. "Founding members of the National Academy of Engineering". National Academy of Engineering. Retrieved October 19, 2012.
2. "Ernst Weber". IEEE Global History Network. IEEE. Retrieved November 21, 2010.
3. Saxon, Wolfgang (February 17, 1996). "Ernst Weber, 94, Who Oversaw Polytechnic University's Growth". The New York Times. Retrieved November 23, 2010.
4. "Ernst Weber". Encyclopædia Britannica. 2010. Retrieved November 26, 2010. From Encyclopædia Britannica Online.
5. "IEEE James H. Mulligan, Jr. Education Medal Recipients" (PDF). IEEE. Retrieved November 23, 2010.
6. "Eta Kappa Nu - Eminent Member Award". Eta Kappa Nu. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
7. "IEEE Founders Medal Recipients" (PDF). IEEE. Retrieved November 23, 2010.
8. "Past Awardees: Microwave Career Award". IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society. Retrieved November 22, 2011.
9. "SCIENTISTS RECEIVE MEDALS FROM REAGAN". The New York Times. June 26, 1987. Retrieved November 23, 2010.
10. "IEEE Ernst Weber Engineering Leadership Recognition". IEEE. Retrieved November 25, 2010.