MIT Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science

Professor Hermann A. Haus Awarded Medal of Science

September 27, 1995

It has just been announced by NSF that Professor Hermann A. Haus has been chosen to receive the Medal of Science on October 18 in a ceremony at the White House.

Professor Haus is widely known for his pioneering research in various aspects of electromagnetism and quantum optics. Most recently his work has involved the use of solitons (single pulses that travel in slightly nonlinear media without dispersion or change in shape) for transmission of information long distances in optical fibers. His earlier research included noise in electronic circuits (with the late Professor Richard B. Adler), electrodynamics of moving media (with Professor Paul Penfield, Jr.), noise in microwave and optical devices, mode-locked semiconductor lasers, and picosecond switching. Much of his recent work was done with Professors Erich P. Ippen and James G. Fujimoto.

In the department he has taught many subjects and is one of the principal lecturers of 6.013.

Professor Haus has been honored many times during his career. He received the Killian Award (MIT's highest award for senior faculty) in 1982. Then in 1987 he was named Institute Professor, a rank that is reserved for at most twelve faculty members, those judged to have made extraordinary contributions to MIT's intellectual and collegial life. He is a member of both the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Sciences. He received the Townes Prize from the Optical Society of America in 1990, the IEEE Education Medal in 1991, and numerous other honors over the years.

The National Medal of Science was established in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy to recognize a lifetime of outstanding work in science and the science community. Since its inception the Medal has been awarded to EECS faculty four other times: to Claude E. Shannon in 1966; to Harold E. "Doc" Edgerton in 1973; to John G. Trump (posthumously) in 1983; and to Mildred S. Dresselhaus in 1990. In addition, a former department faculty member, Vannevar Bush, received the Medal in 1963.

A reception to honor Professor Haus will take place Monday, October 2, in the Grier Room, 34-401A, at 5:00 PM, immediately following the EECS Colloquium.