|
––––––––––––––––––––––––
 |
Robert
W. Lucky
Telcordia Technologies, Inc. (Retired)
|
Robert
W. Lucky was born in Pittsburgh, Pa., and attended Purdue
University, where he received a B.S. degree in electrical
engineering in 1957, and M.S. and Ph.D.- degrees in 1959
and 1961. After graduation he joined AT&T Bell Laboratories
in Holmdel, NJ, where he was initially involved in studying
ways of sending digital information over telephone lines.
The best known outcome of this work was his invention of
the adaptive equalizer - a technique for correcting distortion
in telephone signals which is used in all high speed data
transmission today. The textbook on data communications
which he co-authored became the most cited reference in
the communications field over the period of a decade.
At Bell
Labs he moved through a number of levels to become Executive
Director of the Communications Sciences Research Division
in 1982, where he was responsible for research on the methods
and technologies for future communication systems. In 1992
he left Bell Labs to assume position as Corporate Vice President,
Applied Research at Telcordia Technologies. In October 2002,
Bob retired from Telcordia and now is an independent consultant,
serving on several boards, giving talks, and writing articles
and papers.
He has
been active in professional activities, and has served as
President of the Communications Society of the IEEE (Institute
of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), and as Vice President
and Executive Vice President of the parent IEEE itself.
He has been editor of several technical journals, including
the Proceedings of the IEEE, and since 1982 he has written
the bimonthly "Reflections" column of personalized
observations about the engineering profession in Spectrum
magazine. In 1993 these "Reflections" columns
were collected in the IEEE Press book Lucky Strikes ...
Again.
Dr.
Lucky is a Fellow of the IEEE and a member of the National
Academy of Engineering,. He is also a consulting editor
for a series of books on communications through Plenum Press.
He has been on the advisory boards or committees of many
universities and government organizations, and was Chairman
of the Scientific Advisory Board of the United States Air
Force from 1986-1989. He was the 1987 recipient of the prestigious
Marconi Prize for his contributions to data communications,
and has been awarded honorary doctorates from four universities
He has also been awarded the Edison Medal of the IEEE and
the Exceptional Civilian Contributions Medal of the U.S.
Air Force. In 2002, Dr. Lucky was awarded the IEEE Richard
M. Emberson Award.
Dr.
Lucky is a frequent speaker before both scientific and general
audiences. He has been an invited lecturer at about one
hundred different universities, and has been the guest on
a number of network television shows, including Bill Moyers'
"A World of Ideas," where he has discussed the
impacts of future technological advances. He is the author
of the book Silicon Dreams, which is a semi-technical and
philosophical discussion of the ways in which both humans
and computers deal with information.
Dr.
Lucky and his wife, Joan, currently reside in Fair Haven,
NJ.
|
